Best Spouses Forever?
by BugDevil
Summary: This is a story about growth and perspective. A new crisis leads to a rapid Share drain all across Gamindustri and Uzume has to step in as the only CPU left to rule. While she struggles with her new duties, the remaining CPUs face the reality of becoming human. Additionally they are now bearing the consequences of a carelessy agreed on bet which forces them to propose to someone...
1. Episode 0: Prologue

**Welcome to part three of this trilogy that was never supposed to be. Due to my apparent masochism and some well formulated threats/requests from readers (haha) I present to you this final Neptunia story.**

 **As always, in the timeline it takes place after Megadimension Neptunia VII. It might be possible to read this without knowing the two prequel stories, but I wouldn't recommend it.**

 **PS: The title is supposed to be "Best Spouses Forever!?", but formatting forbade me from doing that lol**

* * *

 **Episode 0: Prologue**

"Alrighty, let's address the pink elephant in the room gals. The author officially ran out of relationship terms to use for the title."

"Neptune?! The 4th wall _was just_ rebuilt!" Noire chopped Neptune's forehead with one hand.

"Ow! We gotta say it how it is Nowa. We can't pretend that we aren't living in a world of lies anymore!"

"If you wouldn't jump ahead in the script so much we could get there soon enough!" Another hit on the head made Neptune back down.

"Are you two quite done now?" Histoire looked at the pair with a grim expression on her tiny face. "This is a very serious crisis. Please focus." She floated across the round table anxiously.

"Leave it to Neptune to abandon all worry for the future." Vert smiled lightly. She glanced towards Blanc and winked.

"Hmph." But the small CPU didn't reciprocate that jovial gesture. Her eyes were focused on the red-haired girl at the opposite end of the table.

Uzume was looking rather nervous. There was a hint of fear in her body language. It was very unlike her to act this way, which more than anything else drove home the direness of their situation.

"U-uhm, could you repeat what you wanted to say one more time Histy?" Nepgear asked her for the sake of loosening the tension between the Oracle and her carefree protégé.

The CPU candidates were all sitting on one side of the table, separate from their sisters. Uni sat close to Nepgear and was tapping her fingers on the table to cope with her uneasy feelings. The Lowee twins on the other hand didn't seem to understand what was really going on.

"Yes." Histoire sighed and floated back next to Uzume. "As you are all aware ladies, we have reached a new low in global Shares in the recent weeks." She put on tiny glasses and pointed with a small stick at a projected screen. "And I am not talking about distribution to a new faction or anything like it." This wasn't like what happened with ASIC.

"Yeah it's been kinda poopy lately. Not even a dance video could get our Shares back to space!" Neptune gave them the ducklips.

"It didn't take much to get your Shares to that low percentage." Noire said with dull eyes. "But for Lastation to lose this much… it's impossible!" Noire slammed the table with her hands.

"We worked so hard too…" Uni bit her lip. Clearly she was putting the blame on herself as well. She suddenly felt the warm touch of another hand on hers. As she looked up she saw Nepgear's supportive smile. That managed to calm her down immensely.

"I always considered myself quite capable at holding a certain Share balance, but this is unprecedented." Vert sipped on her glass of soda with a neutral expression.

"It's her fault, isn't it?" Blanc glared at Uzume.

"I'm sorry!" Uzume apologized with a bowed head. Blanc's words were harsh, but she was going to take all the blame.

"That is not exactly true." Histoire looked at Uzume with sympathetic eyes.

"Then why is she overflowing with all this Share energy?" Blanc crossed her arms.

It was almost palpable in the air. The awesome power that surged through Uzume's body was like a cloud of Shares. She seemed to exude faith from every pore. The only time they had ever seen something similar was when Nepgear defeated the Deity of Sin with the faith of all people in Gamindustri.

"Let me explain my theory." Histoire pointed at the screen again to distract from the apologetic Uzume. "It all began with the collapse of the Heart Dimension about a year ago." The screen displayed a rough recreation of the Heart dimension's layout. "After it had been completely destroyed with Kurome Ankokuboshi's demise the space between the Zero and Hyper dimensions has become unstable." Now two more graphics for the other dimensions were placed left and right of the Heart dimension.

"So you're saying we are experiencing the effects of that only this much later?" Noire looked doubtful.

"Yes, it appears that the dark energy from the Heart subspace has been spreading across the multiverse for the longest time since its destruction. That is why we haven't noticed any effects until now. It was still dispersing."

"Is that why those Dark CPUs appeared in Gamarket and other dimensions?" Vert asked perceptively.

"The other Neptune is currently investigating things with Croire, but we can assume that this has been the case." Histoire nodded gravely. "Those are only simple side-effects though. The reality we are facing now is what happened after the darkness had been dispersed completely."

"I don't get it Histy. If the bad stuff got washed away, why are we getting our asses kicked by Share deficiency? I thought if you spill the bad stuff out you recover them vitamins faster." Neptune was wobbling on her chair with a blank face.

"Er…. That phrasing aside." Histoire lowered her head in exhaustion. "What I surmised by analyzing the data for the last three days is that the void between dimensions is causing instability between realities. This phenomenon is responsible for the irregular Share flow. The energy of this dimension is seeping into the Zero dimension without anything to stop it."

"Could you repeat all that gibberish, but replace it with gibberish that makes sense, so that I can understand?" Nep said with a raised hand.

"Histoire is saying that all our Shares go to the Zero dimension." Noire summarized for her slow girlfriend. "And the reason is that we destroyed the Heart dimension." Her eyes shifted away as she seemed to recollect those events.

"A final present from Kurome." Vert said with a frown.

"Woah, so we're gonna lose all Shares and they go to Uzume's place forever!?" Nep finally realized how serious the situation was.

"I didn't want this." Uzume gritted her teeth and balled her fist.

"We know it's not your fault Uzume." Nepgear tried to ease her worries.

"Because of that she is bursting with all our people's faith right now." Blanc wasn't as forgiving it seemed.

"That is correct. Uzume as the only recognized CPU of the Zero dimension receives the entire Shares that flow over there."

"I'm sorry guys!" Uzume apologized again. She had been doing so for the entire time now. Clearly this weighed heavy on her conscience.

"We went and blew up that bad place with our own hands, so who's gonna blame you?" Neptune shrugged.

"There was absolutely no alternative. Kurome's delusional monsters would have destroyed Gamindustri. She had to be stopped at all costs." Noire closed her eyes. The true price was only becoming clear now, but she would never regret her decision from back then.

"And if _she_ disappeared?" Blanc's emotionless words reverberated through the room that fell deaf silent. Her eyes were still focused on Uzume.

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"W-what are you saying?" Nepgear tightened her hand on Uni's in confusion.

"Nepgear… calm down." Uni felt the stinging of Nepgear's nails burying into her flesh, but instead of reprimanding her, she put her other hand over the shivering girl's. The shivering stopped as they came closer for comfort.

"Time out! Blanc, take 5 on the bench and think about what you've done wrong." Nep made a 'T' sign with her hands and blew into a non-existent whistle. "What did we say about conquest routes and crushing our friends for personal gain?" She raised one finger in scolding.

"…I'm just saying what everyone was thinking." Blanc clicked her tongue and backed off.

"That would not change the situation for the better." Histoire stayed objective. Whether Banc's comment disturbed her or not was impossible to tell. "If Uzume were to leave, the Shares would need a new host. If there is no suitable one, they will simply form a Sharicite. An ever-growing crystal with the power to warp space. The consequences might be much more fatal and nothing would be accomplished in Gamindustri."

There really was no way out of this.

Everyone was silent. They all had experienced their powers weakening each passing day. Whether they would admit it or not, they could already not transform anymore. The drain of Shares was affecting the CPUs more than anyone else.

Blanc's bad mood and harsh suggestions were not entirely unexpected. She was also thinking of her little sisters here. If this situation continued…

"Sooo, we're running out of magic fuel and are going to fall into comas and stuff? Doesn't that sound familiar?" Neptune's eyes turned into lines.

"That is not true Neptune." Histoire suddenly interjected into the gloomy atmosphere. "If you run out of Shares the most likely scenario is that you will turn human." She explained matter of factly.

"Are you serious?" Noire was out of it.

"I see… I heard of worse fates before, but this is not exactly acceptable either." Vert folded her hands.

"We're going to be like the kids in town?" Ram looked confused.

"Is that… bad?" Rom didn't seem to get it either.

"We can't stay as CPUs?" Blanc made a poker face.

"Even if you keep acting as CPUs of your nations and the citizens kept believing in you, all the faith of the people will go straight to Uzume." The tome girl said seriously.

This bombshell was putting the girls into a stupor.

"If only I had thought about it more." Uzume's fist was shaking. "There's gotta be a way out of this!"

"I will not stop searching for that solution!" Histy nodded determinedly. "But until then we need to get you into shape to be this world's ruling CPU." She added towards Uzume.

"Eh?" The red-head was sweating.

"If the CPUs lose their power the citizens will eventually notice. We can't counter threats efficiently either. I know that you are already incredibly busy with rebuilding the Zero dimension, but I beg you Uzume, please watch over the Hyper dimension from now on too." The Oracle flew to her old friend and grabbed one of her hands with her own tiny ones. They barely managed to cover it properly.

"But everyone is still here. I can't just-" Uzume shook her head.

"This is seriously bad. I can't leave Lastation to a total beginner." Noire put a hand to her forehead and sighed.

"I never imagined to be usurped by accident. How ironic. These things usually only happen to Lowee." Vert joked.

"Oh shut it!" Blanc cracked her fingers in displeasure.

"Well, if it's Uzume then it's fine I guess. We Planeptune folk need to stick together." Neptune gave her friend a thumbs up.

"A-are you taking this seriously, guys?!" Uzume rose from her chair and got louder.

"Absolutely." Noire glared at her. "I do not like this any more than you do. If there is even a slight hope of reversing the effects I will take it without question." She adjusted her twintails. "But until we find that solution, we can't just stay stagnant. The world keeps moving whether we want it or not." The pragmatist in her had awakened.

"Y'all don't have to stop ruling your homes! I can't do this job by myself anyway. So let's work together!" Uzume spoke hopefully.

"We could act as governors of the nations for the ruling CPU." Vert said with a distant voice.

The others stayed silent for an agonizingly long time.

"I would rather not." Noire finally said with a clouded face.

"Big sis?" Uni was surprised to hear that.

"I agree. No offense, but I don't wanna be anyone's glorified secretary." Blanc said dryly.

"I'll help if you really want me to, but I wasn't good at the whole paperwork stuff anyway. I'm better at punching evil in the face and attracting people with my main character charme." Neptune laughed with an apologetic face.

"This is a precarious situation indeed." Vert sighed. "Give us some time to get familiar with this new human existence." Her words were tinged with subtle regret.

Uzume looked lost. Everyone was turning away from her with more or less pity. They had their reasons, but she felt like some outcast now…

"I will help you Uzume!" Nepgear shouted into the uneasy room.

"N-Nepgear?!" Uni couldn't hold her from moving around the table.

"Gearsy...?" Uzume looked at her with a mix of surprise and infinite thankfulness.

"I don't know how much help I can be, but you are not alone. Even if I'm human, I won't give up on helping a friend." Her eyes were fiery with determination. She would cover for the rest of them as long as they needed.

"Thanks a bunch!" Uzume grabbed Nepgear's shoulders and bowed her head.

"N-no, you don't need thank me, y-you would have done the same for us!" Nepgear stammered in embarrassment. Uni looked at the scene with a weird glint in her eyes.

"I agree that everyone should get some time off to get used to their new situation." Histy suddenly regained the group's attention with a clap. "And of course we can't let the nations run themselves during that time either. Uzume will need to go through intensive training as well, so we can't let her do the job on her own."

"Then what do you suggest?" Noire was not entirely cold towards the red-head of course. She didn't want her to be lonely either. They still needed to figure a lot of stuff out for themselves. This was a life-changing moment.

"I called for reinforcements before this meeting." Histoire said with a smile. "They should arrive by tomorrow, so leave the governing to us until everything has been sorted out!" Her words were reassuring, but who did she mean by 'us'?

"So where are you going to stay Uzume? Wanna hang out in Planeptune's Basilicom? It's not our home anymore I guess, so you can make yourself comfy." Neptune tried to keep the spirits up as always.

"'bout that…" Uzume looked at Histy.

"Due to the current circumstances it seems that a Share Bridge between the Zero dimension and here has been established." Histoire showed a picture of a glowing portal in the west of Gamindustri.

"Woah! So we can now skedaddle over there without using mega-me's notebook or MAGES.' magic science devices?" Neptune whistled.

"Just like the Ultra dimension portal." Nepgear was happy to hear that as well.

"That reminds me." Histy's eyes started to glow with lines of numbers. "The Ultra portal had to be sealed for the time being."

"Whaaaaat?!" For the first time Neptune seemed devastated.

"If we hadn't done that, the Share drain could affect even their dimension." The blonde Oracle explained.

"B-but I was gonna have a nap session with Plutie next week. And P-ko wanted to show me that super neptastic drawing she made!"

"Hopefully this will only be a temporary measure. I will explain the details to that dimension's version of me." Histoire could connect to mini-Histy any time after all.

"If we could have gone there we might have been able to stay CPUs actually. We both ate the CPU memories, so we are technically official goddesses of the Ultra dimension." Nepgear pointed out.

"I am on the floor right now and you are kicking me. It's true!" Nep said from below the table. She hadn't even thought of that possibility until Nepgear had brought it up. But now they couldn't go there anymore anyway.

Noire crossed her arms and pretended not to care. Neptune noticed immediately.

"Meh, I wouldn't just run off to be a perfect goddess over there anyway. I couldn't leave my lonely GF behind, right?" She laid an arm around Noire's cold shoulder.

"I-I don't care a-anyway. I'm used to you running off to other dimensions already." She huffed.

"It's more like the plot literally drags me there, but you don't need to worry no more! I will now hold your hand, so we both get dragged around~"

"Let's stay here for once!"

The atmosphere got a little lighter and the chattering continued for a while. Everyone was making plans on how to act next. Histoire was leaving for a while to contact some people and work out the logistics of the operation to make Uzume a good ruler. The tomboyish CPU came along. She looked more than overwhelmed.

After some heated discussion they were all more or less set on what to do next. But there was one more point that Histoire didn't mention, probably because it was not exactly relevant to the crisis.

But Noire had to address it sooner or later and she didn't like pushing it off.

"This is probably a terrible time to remind you, but…" She gulped. "W-w-we will have to… to… we need to." She was fidgeting around and playing with her dress's ribbons.

"Did ya short-circuit? I knew too much thinking would break you eventually!" Neptune tapped Noire's head as if it was a defective TV.

"Remind us of what?" Blanc raised a brow.

"Something more important than our current predicament?" Vert's ears perked up.

"RAAGH! Stop mocking me! Fine, I'll remind you then!" She lost her cool. "We need to propose to someone now!" She exclaimed.

"Wut?"

"The heck…"

"Oh my."

The CPUs reacted in a variety of confused expressions. So did the little sisters. Except Uni.

"You really remembered that?" The raven haired girl mumbled.

"Are you cereal?" Nep poked Noire's cheek.

"Try to remember that line!" Noire subtly pushed the finger away.

Remember….

* * *

"We aren't going to rip off more popular fanfics… yet."

 **Yet** … _yet_ … yet…

* * *

"So the time has come." Neptune squinted her eyes as the camera zoomed in on her and dramatic music played.

"NOT THAT LINE!" Noire smacked the back of Neptune's head. "Out of all the dumb lines we had in that story you needed to bring this one back up?!" Her eyes turned white.

"Ouchies… But it totally applied here."

"Do you want us to get sued? I was talking about the bet we made during the Peace Festival play!" Noire pulled Nep's ear for punishment and started another flashback.

* * *

Noire: "Then let's make this bet official. Whoever loses the Share race… has to **propose** to the other!"

Neptune: "You better prepare some crazy cool snacks for the wedding! I want a triple quadruple layered cake that you can jump out of!"

Noire: "Heh. In your dreams. It's not like I or Lastation could ever lose."

Vert(?): "I agree to the bet."

* * *

The flashback faded gently like a ripple in a puddle.

"Waaaaaait a minute! I feel like that was a really abridged version of what actually happened. Like, we're missing ALL the details?" Neptune was sweating nervously.

"How odd. I don't remember such a bet or agreeing to it." Vert put a hand to her cheek and looked distraught.

"T-that happened during the time you had memory loss." Noire said while squirming out of Vert's analyzing gaze.

"Is that so? In that case I have no way to object." She said slowly. Every syllable made the rest feel more afraid. It was better if Vert never found out what they had done behind her back.

"And I'm not even in that flashback! So how can ya claim I agreed?" Blanc said coldly.

"You definitely did, it's just that you didn't say it out loud. Like a silent agreement… You didn't say you _disagree_." Neptune stumbled into really bad territory.

"Silence doesn't mean yes!"

"Simply accept your fate, would you? Sometimes we are forced into situations we didn't account for." Vert was clearly not going to let Blanc get out of this if she had to go along despite memory loss.

That remark actually made Blanc shut up. The two were strangely far apart and didn't look at each other. But nobody had time to question that.

"When we made that bet, I kinda thought it wouldn't happen so soon." Nep smiled wryly.

"If it wasn't for this shitty situation Lowee would never have lost." Blanc was apparently giving in now.

"We swore in front of all people in Gamindustri that we would do it. So this is nothing we can change anymore. Well now I said it, so see you." Noire felt awkward and wanted to escape as soon as possible.

"Proposing…" Nep looked somewhat thoughtful. She stared after her girlfriend and smiled. Perhaps this wasn't so bad after all.

"Sis, are you fine with it?" Nepgear and the other candidates had been watching the argument in silence until now.

"I dunno. Getting tied up was like the worst idea ever until recently… but if it's with Noire."

Nepgear nodded. Her sister had changed a lot in the last year and a half. Even if it was unthinkable before, now they could actually imagine a future together. And because they had become humans now there was no duty stopping them anymore.

While the candidates were not part of the bet, they too were concerned about their sisters' future, so they ran over to them for support.

"Noire, wait for me!" Uni ran after her sister who was trying to escape the room as fast as possible. "Do you really want to propose?" She asked with a mix of concern and embarrassment.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" She said curtly and opened the door. If she had to propose it would obviously be to Neptune. The thought made her… feel very fuzzy. Too fuzzy! She needed to run a few laps around the building to vent off this steam building in her chest!

"Ah, sorry!" IF apologized as she bumped into Noire who was leaving through the now open door.

"It's fine." The Lastation sisters left.

"Nep, where's Histy? I contacted the people on the list and they all agreed to help you out." IF walked over to the Planeptune sisters with a raised brow.

"You just missty'd her." Nep snorted.

"Gear, what's going on? Nep is acting like always, but the rest seems pretty bad for wear."

"Uhm… We just heard that we will become human soon." Nepgear purposely avoided talking about the whole proposal deal.

"Yeah, but that's just temporary, right?" IF tilted her head.

"…" There was no certain answer right now.

"Miss Nepgear, what is a proposal?" Rom asked the purple haired girl.

"It's uhm… w-when two people that love each other… m-make an even stronger bond. A-and then their families get tied together by that bond." Nepgear tried to explain as easily as possible. Talking about marriage was kind of exciting, but also embarrassing.

"Families get bigger? That's so cool!" Ram was excited too.

"Are we getting a new sister now?" Rom and Ram asked in sync.

"Like I would know." Blanc said quietly and moved towards the door. She didn't have the patience to talk this through with the twins.

"Who're you gonna propose to then Vertipoo?" Nep snapped out of her fantasies and asked the remaining goddess curiously.

"Hmhm~ I wonder?" Vert crossed her arms below her bosom and hummed. "Perhaps I should ask for my cute Nepgear's hand? We can still stay sisters of course." The blonde smiled alluringly.

"E-eeeeeh?!" Nepgear's head went up in a poof of smoke.

 _Tap tap tap_

Before Blanc could even open the door, it was already thrown open and Uni crashed into the room. Her eyes were fierce and locked on to that new enemy!

"Just kidding. I would never wish to bring the wrath of little Uni upon myself. You're such a cute couple." Bait successful.

Uni and Nepgear both blushed in response and tapped their index fingers together embarrassedly. They were standing back to back, unable to face the other. It was a sight for sore eyes.

"Now would be a good time for you to consider your options as well. Nobody would notice if you too slipped a proposal in there." She winked towards the lovers.

"Pfff, you got got." Nep snickered.

In front of Vert, Blanc was now back to leaving the room.

IF looked after her with a twitchy face. She was clearly holding something in. Then she looked at Vert with very worried eyes.

"You… don't seem to get along since… back then… Lady Vert." She said with a hoarse voice.

"…"

"It's not my place to question your decisions, but…" IF wasn't cut out for this kind of advice. "M-maybe you should talk to Lady Blanc one more time?"

"I agree." Vert twisted her eyebrows for a moment and then moved after the smaller CPU.

"The nep is this about?" Neptune wondered.

"Don't you have other things to worry about Nep?" IF said with squinted eyes.

"Now that you mention it!" Neptune acted as if it had just occurred to her. "If Nep Jr. will stay with Uzume for now I'm like totally on my lonesome!"

"Sis, I am sorry, but Uzume needs all the support she can get."

IF and Neptune looked at her fondly. Nepgear had matured. She could now leave Neptune alone when she felt it was necessary. The clingy girl from some time ago was no more. Yet she was still kind enough to worry.

"No worries, I'll manage on my own. You and Noire Jr. should just focus on what you want to do for now. But let me visit you up in your fancy palace after becoming royal advisor or somethin', okay?" Neptune laughed.

"We will see each other again soon!" Nepgear insisted and then hugged Neptune.

"Hehe… you big baby sister of mine." Nep patted her back and nodded.

"I… I will look out for Nepgear, so don't worry Miss Neptune." Uni said bashfully.

"Oh will you ever? At this rate you're really gonna propose before me or Noire!"

"Stop teasing them Nep." IF smiled as well though.

Things would get a whole lot more turbulent soon. Each and every person in this group had to face their own unique problems. The future of Gamindustri was just as uncertain as theirs.

Whether everything would turn out well in the end, only time could tell.

 _(To be continued)_


	2. Episode 1: Neptune

**Let me know if the post chapter segment is too much.**

* * *

 **Episode 1: Neptune**

"So that's the long and short of it. _'Neptune finished her explanation.'_ "

"You didn't explain a single thing! Don't take over the narration!" IF replied stoically.

The two girls were standing in front of IF's apartment. The door was unlocked and half opened, indicating that IF had just tried to slip in before being ambushed by Neptune.

"Why are you in my apartment?" IF repeated her question with crossed arms and a piercing gaze.

"I don't think that's really important right now."

"Think again."

"Fiiiine."

* * *

Neptune had returned home from the gathering with a mind full of existential questions. The others might have been used to this, but Nep never had to worry about preparing her own meal!

Okay, maybe her worries were a little more earthbound, but the fridge was empty. As was Nepgear's room. And Histy's… Even the Basilicom staff wasn't around yet. Although that part was normal for Planeptune's Basilicom. The workforce took after their goddess, so they tended to only appear around noon earliest.

Planeptune Tower was an empty shell.

"Do we, like, evacuate our rooms now?" She wondered. If she wasn't a CPU anymore and wasn't working here either, did she even have the right to live in this place? Usually she would just leech off Histy's goodwill and stay around, but the Oracle was too busy to make time for her right now.

"This sucks all kinds of eggplant flavored popsicles." She was irritated in ways she couldn't quite figure out. "It's not the first time the protagonist starts their quest on the street, but being homeless this late into the timeline makes my gamer sense tingle in despair."

She grabbed some things from her room (among them about 20 identical hoodie dresses) and kicked down the door to (compulsory) freedom.

* * *

"So instead of leeching off Histy you decided to crash at my place? How did you even get in there? I'm sure I locked the door…" She looked at the substantial amount of security systems she had installed into the entrance. A newcomer would probably assume that IF was incredibly paranoid and/or insane, but she had been the victim of continuous house key thefts. Some weirdo had immense amounts of fun with stealing ONLY her keys. Nothing else was ever touched inside the apartment.

Of course Nep's easy entry begged the question how good the automated turrets, eye- and DNA-scanners as well as the trap door really were.

"The window was open." Nep flicked her fingers and pointed at the agape window.

"Oh." IF let her head sink in shame.

"You'll let me stay for a while, right best buddy?" Neptune asked with big puppy eyes.

"…only until you found a job to rent your own place." IF acted as if she was throwing crumbs to her friend out of obligation, but they both knew that she could never ignore a Nep in need.

With a sigh the guild member opened the door widely and stepped inside, over the rug and then left her shoes in the hallway. The key was placed on the cupboard without a care. At this point nothing could keep it safe anyway.

Neptune had already spread her stuff all around the living room it seemed as IF realized with a hint of annoyance. She accidentally stepped on a stray game cartridge which hurt way more than one might think!

"I really don't think anyone would throw you out of the Basilicom. Nobody even knows that you are turning human yet." She looked through the fridge to make sure how much of her supplies had already been eradicated. The pathetic amount that was left still almost gave her a heart attack.

"I figured if I have to go out, then I should do it on my own terms." Neptune replied form the couch that she had thrown herself at almost immediately.

"You mean you needed someone to feed you." IF wasn't fooled by her inspiring talk. "I don't really want to admit it, but I expected you to go to Compa instead of me. She is better at cooking and she always spoils you…" She looked away while saying those things as neutrally as possible.

"Aw, are you embarrassed?" Neptune looked up to her with a grin. "I know that I can always rely on you Iffy!"

"That's beside the point."

"Weeell, knowing that you are basically spending more time at her place than over here; it would feel like I am totally in the way?" Neptune gave her a cat like smile.

"Who said I'm at Compa's place all the time?! I-It's just a lot closer to work than mine and she said we could eat dinner together when I am too exhausted to do it myself and we don't really spend that much time together anyway, because she is busy at the hospital and there is nothing to be guilty about! We are childhood friends, so it's only natural, so don't give me that cheeky grin!" Her mouth was shooting words faster than an automatic gun.

" _Wow_ , so you really do go there every day? I was just messing around!" Nep said in fake surprise and put a hand in front of her mouth.

"…mgrmbl…" IF rubbed her heated face and put the last few seconds into the delete folder of her brain.

"You sure live the Spartan life as usual Iffy. This is like the saddest home I've seen in a while. Where's the merchandise? The fluffy pillows and cute decorations? Even boys aren't this basic." Neptune proceeded to badmouth the sparsely equipped place like it belonged to her already.

"I usually only come here to sleep." IF dismissed the criticism coolly. "The rent is cheap, but it's still spacious enough. Speaking of rent." She put one hand on her hip and looked down on the freeloader. "Naturally you won't stay here for free. Especially with your terrible fuel efficiency." Her face was really scary.

"R-roger~ I can earn my keep!" Nep stiffened up and began sweating.

"I am sure you can. That's why you are coming with me to work tomorrow." That smile didn't allow backtalk.

"Aye."

* * *

"So nostalgic." Neptune stood in front of the quest billboard with a happy-go-lucky pose. They had moved to the guild house early in the morning (much to her sleepy chagrin), in the usual search for good paying work.

"We haven't been here like this together for a while." IF agreed.

"I'm so happy~! I get to play with Nep-Nep again." Compa cheered with a raised hand.

"Are you sure you can come with us? What about your fancy new job? The patients are gonna riot without their busty angel to kiss their pain away." Neptune asked her old friend curiously.

"…" IF jabbed Neptune's arm hard enough for it to tingle. She didn't say anything though.

"Mr. Director said I can have the day off, because I was a good nurse." Compa smiled as bright as the sun.

"Did he say anything about material expenses and collateral damage too?" Nep made her famous Umio face.

"Let's focus on the quests." IF stepped between them and pointed at the board. "This one looks like a good start." She chose a gathering quest for some common materials.

"Boooring. Why don't we take this hunting quest instead?" Nep spun her finger at random and hit the poster in the middle.

"That's an **Abnormal Monster** quest." IF pointed out patiently.

"Ancient Dragons are just lizard grandpas! Beating the elderly is not my style, but if it brings the dough in…" Neptune shrugged.

IF and Compa gave each other a short look and then nodded.

"I insist that we take this one first. Just as a warm up." She chose another low level hunting quest. This time for defeating '10 loitering dogoos'. Apparently the quest giver was really aggravated by their uncontrolled loitering.

"Eh? Are you getting rusty Iffy? Isn't this your job?" The purple haired girl gave her a disappointed look.

"Tsk. Humor me." The guild member clicked her tongue and suppressed a retort.

"Okey-dokey. You're the boss." Nep shrugged again.

* * *

The meadow in front of the close-by village was green and mostly tranquil. A river was bubbling in the shallow ravine between hills and wound its way through the area like a street of water. This place couldn't get more peaceful if it had been colonized by vegetarian pacifist monks.

"The air is so clear, it's really good for the body." Compa gave her professional medical opinion.

"I'm ready to smash some dog faces!" Neptune was giddy for a fight. Battles were easy compared to facing the actual problems ahead of her.

"Yeah yeah, just don't break anything important." IF scanned the area for their targets and pulled out her Katars.

"There isn't anything to smash anyway." Nep pouted and jumped on top of a lonely rock.

"Ahh, there is one Mr. dogoo!" Compa leaned forward and pointed at a blue blob of goo using her oversized syringe.

"Your soul is mine!" Nep leaped forward and pulled out her katana in a jiffy.

"Don't rush ahead on your own!" IF reprimanded with concern in her voice.

"A-one, a-two and you are goo! Wait that's already the case-" Neptune was still busy marveling at her wordplay before she suddenly fell over. Her face hit the grass rather directly and she slid through the dirt. "Eh?" She hadn't even realized the change of altitude at first.

"Are you alright Nep-Nep?" Compa rushed to her side and pulled her up.

"Y-yeah, just a scratch." Nep rubbed the dirt off her face. The dogoo in front of her was just tilting its face with a stretched out tongue, clearly unaware of the murderous intent aimed at it.

Nep pulled her sword out of the ground and wobbled a little. So she hadn't imagined it.

"This baby is heavy." She said dubiously, as if she had been pranked.

"That's what I feared." IF sighed while Neptune steadied the blade with both hands and changed her stance.

"Hiyah!" Neptune swung the katana and barely missed the dogoo. "Feels like I'm hitting syrup… and I didn't even cut the slime ball yet!" She actually sounded a little panicked. "Did my level reset again? Am I back to level 1!?"

"Don't worry Nep-Nep, we are all level one in something." Compa tried to cheer her up.

"It's not that." IF shook her head and sliced the dogoo in two from behind without remorse. "Nep, you feel different, right?"

"Kinda?"

"I bet it's because you aren't supported by Shares anymore." The brunette guessed. "You always swing around these oversized swords that are way too big for you, but a human girl of your stature is bound to have some trouble with it. At least until you train a little."

"That's…" Nep swung the sword a few times to make sure. "Is that why you didn't want to go dragon slaying with me?"

"Sorry. We weren't sure either." IF apologized.

"You are strong Nep-Nep, so I'm sure you will be number one again in a bit!" Compa tapped her syringe. "I will boost you lots and lots with my buffs too."

"I really don't want to rely on mysterious liquid and steroids to become buff-tune." Nep shook her hands. "It's just a balance issue. If I lever it like thus and then rock my booty like that…" She went into a weird pose and then slammed the sword down. The next best dogoo was smashed into a puddle of blue liquid. It exploded into loot.

"Nice~!" Compa applauded.

"Experience makes up for weakness I guess." Even IF had to admit that Nep was adapting fast. Though she looked really silly while using that 'sword style'.

They took it slow and after a short time they had taken care of nine dogoos without any major injuries sustained. But while IF and Compa were completely fine, Neptune was wiping sweat from her forehead like a windshield wiper on a car.

"Stamina… fading…" Neptune swallowed some Nepbull handed to her by Compa. It was the third bottle already.

"I am obligated by law to inform the consumer that the contents of the energy drink may lead to feelings of addiction and sleep deprivation as well as a powerful surge of overconfidence." Compa mechanically repeated the warning label line she had to study at med school.

"Thanks for the warning Compañero…" The ex-goddess took another swig in defiance.

"One more and we are good to go." IF scouted the area for the last target.

"Just gimme 5 seconds… times nap." Neptune fell on her butt and huffed. It was shocking how little exercise made her feel this faint. Was this the human limit? Somehow this gave her more respect for the human party members that fought alongside her all this time. Just how terrifying was it to battle deadly bosses in such a fragile body?

"This is a nice place for a picnic." Compa crouched down next to Nep and patted the short grass.

"We can come again another time. I really want to get this quest done first…" IF smiled wryly at her friends' typical lack of responsibility.

"Wuzzat?" Nep mumbled and pointed at a yellow something in the distance. It was about dogoo sized, but that wasn't a color scheme she had ever seen on those goofy blobs before. It hopped closer at its own pace.

"It looks like Mr. dogoo." The nurse tilted her head. "With a cute costume?"

"Hehe. It's cosplaying as a bee." Nep snickered. She was right, the dogoo was wearing a bee suit. Striped yellow and black, even including a fake stinger that dragged over the ground behind it.

"!" IF's shoulders got stiff. "D-did you say a bee dogoo?!" She spun around in visible fear.

"More like a dogoo with an identity crisis." Nep jumped up. The view of this quirky mob invigorated her again. "Time for some shock therapy!"

"NO stop!" The guild member jumped ahead and grabbed Neptune's arm in a panic.

"Woah, easy there. This isn't your average butter knife." Knowing that her plot armor was gone, Neptune had developed a newfound respect for sharp objects, so she didn't appreciate IF's unsafe pulling.

"It's the Queen-bee!" She whispered fearfully.

"No, it's a dogoo."

"Listen, I got intel on some crazy rare new monster. The Queen-bee is a dogoo who has ascended beyond its natural limits!"

"By wearing a bee costume?"

"It started in the most lowly ranks of slime town, but it was different from the rest. It had a dream!"

"To become a great cosplayer?"

"By shedding its former shape it has become something no dogoo could ever imagine. A being that demands respect with its mere presence…"

"Oh look it even has tiny wings! Do ya think they work Compa?"

"We just need to believe Nep-Nep."

"…and over time it gained dominion over all its brethren, becoming the true 'Queen-bee' to rule them all…"

"Hey, it's shaking the wings now. Oooh, it actually levitates a little! Look how it struggles."

"You are amazing Mrs. Queen dogoo!"

"You think that thing is married?"

"A queen needs a king, no?"

"How insightful you are. Was that also part of medical school?"

"…so never under any circumstances attack it! We can't even imagine what would happen!" IF finished her monologue, although nobody paid attention to it anyway.

"This reminds me of that one game with the fat plumbeeeee-ACHOO!" Nep sneezed because of some pollen.

"We better retreat while we can-" IF was about to pull them away when she noticed that Neptune's sword was missing.

"Ah, my hand slipped." She said while staring ahead emotionlessly. "What did you say about that species confused dog?"

"…ah…..hhhhh…." IF's eyes turned white as she stared directly at the impaled Queen-bee in front of them. The sword had nailed it straight into a tree. The guild member was lined up with the goofy death face of the thing, crossed out eyes as well as a tongue hanging out comically.

"Wasn't very strong, huh? Royalty these days, am I right?" Nep patted IF's back casually.

"What have you… That thing was the leader of the regional dogoo population!" IF shook Neptune with both arms. "Now that it's dead all the drones will come running to avenge it!"

"Drones? Do dogoos have that kind of hierarchical system? I'm learning so much today!" Nep replied with shaking eyes.

RRRRRUMBLEEE!

"My legs are shakiiing too." Compa squealed and held onto IF.

"Shit, we need to get out of here. AndyouarealsoreallycloseCompa." The green bow in IF's hair waved in the foreboding wind.

"Please tell me that my eyes are still seeing double… or quindruplegajillion. That's a lot of dogoos." Nep pointed ahead of them. And behind them.

"We're surrounded already?!" It didn't look good at all.

"I'll take the thousand on the right and you finish off the thousand on the left Compa!" Neptune pulled up her katana with fire in her eyes.

"Aye-aye!" Compa locked and loaded her syringe. She leaned her back against IF's to cover all directions.

"Geeeez! There is never a normal day with this party!" IF shook her shoulders in irritation before pulling out her Katars defiantly. "AlsoyourbackistouchingmereallydirectlyCompa."

"Hold on to your sweater and cell-phones, this is going to be a fight for the history log!"

 _ **"GOOOO!"**_ The blue army of silly mobs came rushing in at mach speed. They were about to collide with the hero party when-

"HUAH! Muscle impact!" A melodramatic voice echoed across the hills and then a _disgustingly muscular_ humanoid dogoo landed in the crowd of its brethren. It raised its incredibly toned body and posed like a body builder. Then it spun around on one leg and pointed at the impaled Queen-bee dogoo.

"Oi, isn't that the fellow with the _dreamy pecs_ that hung out with S-sha?" Neptune said with stars in her eyes.

"Nep…?"

"Ahhh, auntie, I feel such remorse to see your demise so early. Even my pecs are weeping!" Goo-man twisted his washboard like waist into the shape of tears.

"That… that thing was your aunt?" IF wasn't sure what was more disturbing here.

"Indeed! We did not talk much these days, but she was still family!" Goo-man put his arms in circles around his pecs.

"You could grind meat on those things~"

"A-are you drooling Nep…?" IF was highly freaked out right now. "I thought you were into Lady Noire!"

"Woah Iffy, way to put me into a shelf with a label on my cute face. You can like one thing and still appreciate those _delicious_ abs!" She protested.

"They are really well developed." Compa nodded. She was agreeing on a professional level.

"I don't get it. What's so appealing about those… are they staring at me?" She was creeped out now. Yup.

"Just for your daily information-injection, Noire is super soft on the outside, but below that cute navel she has some really solid abs as well-"

"Too. Much. Information." The guild member facepalmed. What was this situation? At least the dogoos had stopped their attack ever since that weirdo appeared.

"I consider you all my companions, dear ladies." Goo-man said theatrically.

"The feeling's definitely not mutual." IF mumbled.

"But alas! Blood is thicker than tears! My pecs shall weep, but auntie will be avenged!" He posed threateningly(?) while showing off his abs. "Have at you, cuties!"

"Here he comes! I will distract him, so prepare some special moves." IF rushed ahead to clash with the abomination.

"But… they could be even more solid if he did lots of sit-ups and exercise." Compa suddenly added to her previous statement. She had been cupping her chin the entire time in thought.

"!" Goo-man stopped mid karate kick and landed on one knee. "Do you speak the truth fluffy goddess?"

"Eh? Yeees, I made a good work out plan before. But you would need some big weights." She tilted her head.

"Say no more!" He slapped his pecs with one hand and all the dogoos in the area streamed towards him. They were molded into a gigantic dumbbell. "Now, what would you make me do to improve?"

"Oh, uhm, I have it all written down. Just give me a second pretty please!" Compa fumbled through her bag.

"…what about your aunt's vengeance?" IF said almost disappointed.

"It's unhealthy to dwell on revenge too much my dear." He replied jovially.

"Right…"

"That takes care of the dogoo infestation." Neptune made a peace sign in victory. "I didn't even participate in all this. It just kinda happened to me." She remarked.

* * *

A few hours later the trio left with a substantial increase to their wallet. The plague of the blobs had been quelled for a good while thanks to Compa and the guild was all too happy to reward them handsomely.

While Compa went with Goo-man to give him the fitness plan, IF had to clear things with her contacts and the guildmaster.

Neptune was sitting outside in the sun eating some well deserved pudding. This was the high life. She put a spoonful into her mouth and squealed in joy at the abundant flavor waves.

It was definitely fun questing with her friends again. Recently she had spent most of her time with Noire. Not that she would ever regret those times either. In fact this entire time she had felt a certain yearning in the recess of her mind. Like a drug addict on withdrawal. It had only been a day, what the heck?

She smiled weakly.

That wasn't it, huh? She wasn't just thinking of Noire here. Something else was missing. The comforting presence in her heart that she had taken for granted this entire time. The warmth that could only come from the faith given to a person by other people.

Taking another spoonful she shivered. It was fresh from the freezer.

"Feels a bit cold." She whispered.

"Are you feeling better?" IF came out of the guild and sat down next to Neptune. Despite her previous attitude, she was worried about her friend.

"I'm pooped, but that's about it." The purple haired girl smiled. "Never thought I'd turn a Millionep in just a day."

"It was an… unusual experience." She put it diplomatically.

"So you can't shake me for cash anymore! This should pay _all the rents_ for a few years." Nep pointed her spoon at IF.

"I hope you won't be crashing at my place for years in the first place." She smiled back.

"Probably not." Neptune played with the spoon inside her mouth.

"Do you… have any idea what you will do next?"

"Probably not." She repeated with some delay.

"I understand if you feel a bit depressed-"

"Nah that's not it at all." Nep shook her head. "Y'know, whether I'm a goddess, the devil or even human, I'll always be the protagonist." She looked at the blue sky relaxed.

"Only you could think of it that way." IF put a hand to her temple. "I feel dumb for worrying about you." But she was also relieved.

"Now that I got money, fame and success, all little ol' me needs is a nice girl that has high level housewife skills."

"Don't look at me."

"Hush. There is only one twintailed wonder girl that could be my home's shareholder!"

"You have the money to buy her a ring at least." IF said with an impish smile.

"…" Now the true reason for Neptune's weird attitude surfaced.

"I knew it. You are chickening out." The guild member said teasingly.

"No way, no how! I'd love to grow old and cranky with Noire…" She spun the empty pudding pack on top of her index finger.

"Scared of getting gray and wrinkly?" She had no idea how to inquire gently about this, so she decided to be direct.

"Aging is weird. Why do humans have an expiration date? Games never go bad! They only turn _classic_."

"Hm. Doesn't this mean you will finally grow up?" IF suddenly realized. She pulled out her phone and kept typing away.

"Neppers, you're right!" Neptune gasped. "But my small and soft body is my charm point!"

"Lady Noire says she would love to see the grown up you." IF held up her cell. She had been texting Noire. "For some reason her reply was really incoherent and grammatically incorrect though."

Probably because Noire had been squirming around in barely contained excitement at her fantasies.

"Woah, when did you two become pen pals?!"

"Are you seriously jealous of _me_?" She raised a brow.

"Yeah that's silly. I'm so stupid sometimes. Dummy Neptune over here." Nep agreed.

"…it's not _that_ silly." She felt insulted somehow. Not being taken as a possible competitor at all hurt slightly.

"Whatevs. If I grow up gorgeous and curvy as an hourglass I'll make Nowa my eternal slave with a snap of my fingers!" She winked.

"Aren't we confident in our genes?" IF huffed.

"Did you _see_ my HDD? Lookin' pretty good on that front."

All that conceit would one day make her implode.

"Not if you keep eating those puddings." She remarked to shake her friend a little. Neptune had just been grabbing a second pack.

"Huh?"

"You may have patented the transformation diet, but humans don't have an easy button. We have to exercise and eat healthy." She shrugged.

"Ahhhhhh!" Nep yelled as if she had been shot into the knee with an arrow.

"It's not that horrible…"

"W-w-w-what if I become pudgy?! All of you girls are just natural beauties or whatever who never wear make-up or have to pay attention to what you eat, because you are some kind of mutant bishoujo figures! But I'm just an average girl in a cruel world!" Neptune's entire body was shaking in despair.

"Okay, overlooking that incredibly rude comment, you changed your tone fast. It's not like you will grow fat from some sweets." She tried to calm her friend, but Nep was more cranked up than the music in a disco.

"Barrel-tune will roll into the new games and crush enemies with her body mass stats…." Her eyes turned darker.

"…" This was ridiculous. The brunette girl couldn't bear to hear another word. With a swift move of her fingers she typed Noire's number and called her.

"Yes!? Did Neptune grow up already?" Noire asked with loud huffing. She sounded like one of those creepers in horror movies.

"Uh… no? Lady Noire, there is something else I wanted to ask you."

"!" Nep raised her head in shock.

"It's also about Neptune. Yes. Well, if she were to gain weight, would that be a problem for you?"

She asked way too directly!

"Stooooop! Tormentor Iffy of the demon clan! Please forgive my insolence!"

"A… a pudgy Neptune?" Noire's voice shivered.

"Or just a little more round. I don't think she can actually gain that much weight-"

"Soft… squishy… huggable…" The huffing returned even fiercer.

"Are you imagining it right now?"

"She would look…" Noire's imagination took form. The image of Neptune was gradually transforming-

"NEP SMASH!" Neptune punched the thought bubble leaking from the phone to smithereens!

"Hey. I was watching that." IF clicked her tongue.

"Nope, nada, never ever! What would the fans think? Stop ruining the franchise Iffy!" Neptune's eyes were spinning in delirium.

"It wasn't me though."

"Ehehe… T-that Neptune is fine too." Noire was probably rolling over her bed or something with a stupidly happy face.

"Well I'm hanging up. Pretty sure my phone will be smashed next if this continues. Thanks for your input Lady Noire." She hung up. "There you have it. Unconditional love I would say." Just after putting her phone back into her holster, she looked up and saw Neptune frozen in place.

"Noire." She repeated her girlfriends name over and over quietly.

"Hello?" A hand wave in front of her face didn't help either.

"Gotta marry her."

"Eh?"

"I have decided! Screw the bet or the entire world getting messed up! Even if that never happened… That is S-rank wife material." Neptune's eyes were heart-shaped?!

"I think those Nepbulls might have had more side-effects than expected!"

"I'll propose to that girl, even if I have to die trying!" Neptune declared to the world with a determined shout. The passersby were giving her confused looks.

"G-great and now sit back down please." She pushed her friend down by the shoulders and smiled apologetically to the people around them.

A new storm had been born inside Planeptune's ex-CPU. This could only get more ludicrous.

 _(To be continued)_

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

"Greetings people all across Gamindustri! Welcome to **Hi-Five Radio Extra** , the only radio show with everyone's favorite idol 5pb.! Geez. My manager wrote that intro line. How embarrassing."

 _Whispering._

"I'm sorry manager. It's not a bad line. But how can I possibly be everyone's…. yes I understand. Back to the show! For our current series I select e-mails addressed to me directly and answer all the questions that wear down your passionate hearts! This first one comes from pen name: **Violet Heart.** And it goes as follows."

[Hey 5pb.]

"Hi Violet Heart!"

[So I'm in a major crisis right now and really need some answers pronto.]

"I hope I can answer them."

[First of all, what does it mean to become human?]

"…uhm. Weren't you human to begin with? No, wait, let me think about this one."

 _Gentle 5pb. related music plays._

"To be human means to struggle. Struggle against the world, struggle against the haters, the critics, but most of all against yourself. We will always face adversity, but how we overcome it defines us as individuals."

[And my final question.]

"Oh that weren't as many as expected. But the previous one was really deep, so I am curious about the next one."

[Did your breasts grow recently? I saw them on TV, but they are definitely bigger than last time when I met you. They didn't look like pads either. Who fondles them to make them grow? What's the deal?]

"…"

 _LOUD whispering._

"E—e-e-ehm… N-no Cave you don't have to track the e-mail! Did we meet before? I-i-it's true that they uhm… w-well it has nothing to do with f-fondling. Please don't do it Cave-!"

 _Beeeeeep._

"I apologize for the short transmission issues. Due to some _… suggestions_ from my supervisor Cave we will now change the format of the show! Please look forward to it next time everyone! 5pb. plugging out~"

 _Fwoop._


	3. Episode 2: Noire

**Episode 2: Noire**

Noire hurried through the hallway to get away from the meeting room. Her pace had increased after Uni had joined her. Right now the most important thing was to return to Lastation and… And what exactly?

She stopped her steps and looked at the polished floor.

"Everything will be okay." She muttered.

"Sorry, what was that?" Uni hadn't managed to pick up her sister's quiet words.

"I said we will get through this Uni! So stay calm." Noire spun her own anxiety around to give Uni a wall to lean on instead. That was the best thing she could do.

"Of course." Uni nodded in agreement.

Wait, wasn't she awfully calm? Her mind was clearly somewhere else, but she wasn't as gloomy or downtrodden as Noire had expected. And now she made a funny face…

"! I feel like someone is flirting with Nepgear." Her red eyes became cold and piercing.

"Huh?"

"I won't allow it!" Uni turned around and rushed back towards the meeting room without giving her sister a second look.

"What-?" It happened too fast for clarification. Noire could only watch her crash around the corner and disappear.

Just when had Uni become this obsessed? And that 7th sense for cheating was definitely a new ability. Noire felt that Uni would just drive herself crazy, considering her girlfriend was Nepgear. That girl flirted with _everyone_ without even noticing.

Anyway, she would come back after dealing with whatever that was, so Noire kept moving on. At least that little intermission had pulled her out of her worry spiral.

As she went towards the foyer she noticed Histoire's silhouette in the opposite direction. She was clearly floating back towards the others. But she couldn't see Uzume with her. That was odd.

Bitten by curiosity Noire automatically moved to the room the tome girl had just left. Inside was a small office. And sitting on the windowsill was the familiar red-head with her usual erratic outfit. She was looking out the window into the morning sun. From this angle she looked almost blinding and that was not just because of the sun, Noire was sure.

Despite Noire's audible entrance she hadn't noticed her yet. Was she really that deeply in thought? It felt out of character, although admittedly Noire was never especially close with the tomboy.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat to make herself noticed.

"Hm…" But Uzume still didn't look back.

How rude. If there was one thing Noire couldn't stand, it was being ignored. With a raised brow she moved over to the window and then extended one hand to Uzume's shoulder.

They both gasped in surprise at the same time.

"Gah! N-Noirsy?" Uzume's orange eyes flew open in surprise.

"Hot!" Noire retracted her scalded right hand. The shoulder she had just touched felt almost unreasonably hot. Just from sitting in the sun for a bit?

"Didn't notice ya there." She admitted and then jumped off the windowsill.

"I'm aware." Noire waved her hand a few times to cool it down. "Those news were certainly hard to swallow. You must be out of it." She tried to sound understanding.

"I guess." Uzume looked down at her fingerless gloves. "Listen I'm really sorry-"

"That's quite enough out of you." Noire raised a hand and sighed. "Even I feel bad seeing you act like that. Neptune may be wrong about a lot of things, but she was at least right about this. We don't blame you."

"But I do." Uzume replied earnestly.

"Why did I see that coming?" Noire smiled wryly and put a hand on her waist. "I might not have made it clear or anything, but I won't abandon Lastation or my f-friends." She was a little embarrassed to call her a friend, so she averted her gaze.

Uzume looked at her with touched eyes.

"If you mess anything up I will come running to fix it, alright?! As a citizen of Lastation I can't tolerate a bad leader and I won't allow the new government to ruin our nation! That's only natural, right?" She couldn't deal with that grateful expression, so she said something tsundere again. It was hard to turn off.

"I can see why everyone relies on you Noirsy." Uzume clenched her fist and put it to her heart. "I'll take care of Lastation as much as ya want. Just make me one of your awesome dinners every now and again, aight?" She grinned.

"It's always about food with you two, I swear." Noire tilted her head and returned a relieved smile. It seemed like Uzume was still herself.

* * *

After returning to Lastation's Basilicom Noire immediately did what she deemed necessary. Which was to inform the staff about the situation. Keeping it secret or waiting until they would find out themselves was completely out of the question. Noire had to tell them herself or it would leave a bad aftertaste. Of course she told them to keep quiet about it to anyone outside these walls, at least until there was an official announcement.

Most of the employees were understanding and wished Noire the best. They would keep working in the Basilicom diligently so as not to disappoint her trust in them. Nobody seemed to believe this would be permanent even though Noire didn't sugarcoat things.

"What will happen to Lastation now Lady Noire?" A relatively new member of the staff asked Noire while the others returned to their posts. She recognized this man… although barely. He had this face that just disappeared inside a crowd. He was personally hired by Noire a while ago. Someone who had lost everything and then ran into her and Neptune during a date. His devotion to Lastation was rather refreshing, even if he was too serious sometimes (and that was coming from Noire of all people).

"It will prevail through this crisis, just like it did in all that came before." Noire said encouragingly. "Your job is secure; even if I'm gone the Basilicom will not be closed. It is necessary for a governing body to exist in every nation."

"My job isn't important." He said with a downcast expression. "What will become of you my Lady?" His voice was filled with concern.

"I will…" Noire didn't know what she wanted to say. What was she really going to do now? Until now she had never considered a future that was not as the leader of Lastation. Only vague dreams could fill the hole that this turn of events would leave in her heart.

Seeing her troubled reaction the man hastily changed his tune and straightened his back.

"We will keep the Basilicom clean and safe for your return Lady Noire! This nation only has one goddess who could rule it. Everyone will patiently await your return." He saluted.

"Thank you." It was not realistic to have that much hope, but she appreciated the sentiment. A home to return to whenever she wished… Anyone would be happy to have that. "But if I can't respond to the faith of the people I will set myself up for failure. So don't rely on someone incompetent like me if you can help it."

"That can't be true! Nobody would dare to insult your work by saying something so reproaching!"

"Haha. You are exaggerating Mr… What was your name again?" She never did pick it up before.

"I'm unworthy to be addressed by you! B-but if you really wish to know. My name is-"

"NOIIIIIREEEE!" A loud scream interrupted their conversation. And before the staff member could even finish his sentence he was slammed into the wall by the door. Jumping through the opening was none other than K-sha!

"Huh?!" Noire instinctively dodged the high school girl's grapple move that she probably considered a hug. K-sha caught herself mid fall and then spun around to latch on to Noire's hand.

"Noire! I heard everything! The world is so cruel!" She was actually teary eyed…

"C-calm down K-sha-"

"I will quit school! I will find a job and rent an apartment for all three of us. We can live together and be happy, you, Uni and me, I swear!" Her tight grip on Noire's hand only increased.

"Don't quit school!" Noire reprimanded her and lightly hit her on the head.

"But but but!" She had completely lost it apparently. Her tears were real. Those tears shed for someone else; that regret in the name of another.

Noire was moved by her empathy. She slowly moved her hand forward and gently rubbed K-sha's head. Her silken black bangs moved back and forth from the motion. It was almost like that time when she petted Uni after the play. She had been crying back then as well.

"You are really becoming human now?" K-sha asked with a sniff.

"…yes." Noire nodded.

"Ehehe… now I feel some regret for giving up my feelings so early." She said self-derisively.

Noire lowered her gaze. She knew that K-sha had given up a great deal to accept Noire's current relationship. And one way to convince herself was probably that she didn't think it would work out between a human and a CPU. This girl had been cheering them on despite her own wishes for so long, but there must have been some consequence to that.

"But it really doesn't make a difference." She suddenly added. "Just like it doesn't matter if Noire is a goddess or a human, because she is great for whom she is inside." K-sha rose up and tenderly let go of the twintailed girl's hand. "Miss Neptune makes you happiest. How could I regret that? That pain in my chest is just some leftover selfishness. Don't mind it." Her turquoise eyes were strong behind the moistness of her remaining tears.

"I'm sorry for making you worry…. And thanks. For everything." Her smile was rather emotional.

"I didn't do anything yet! I still can do something for you." She folded her hands.

"It would be enough if you looked after Uni every now and then. She could use a friend now more than ever."

"Uni is stronger than you think." K-sha put her hand on her waist and nodded. "And I would be like a third wheel on her alone time with Miss Nepgear." She added.

"I didn't think of that." Noire pulled on her collar, because she suddenly felt like suffocated from the awkwardness. Getting used to her little sister's relationship was a complex change.

"Now that you don't have to worry about the job anymore, we could also have some more alone time." K-sha suddenly said with sparkles around her face. Another dangerous(?) development was about to unfold!

"Aren't lessons still in session?" Noire suddenly realized after glancing at the clock.

"I came running as soon as I got Uni's message." K-sha said with a glint in her right eye.

"Go back to school!" Noire hand chopped her forehead. She was doing that a lot today, huh?

"Ow! But Noiiiire…"

"No buts. How is a delinquent going to help me, hm?" She crossed her arms.

"…!" She widened her eyes and then nodded in acceptance of her criticism. "My dorm room is always open for you two, okay? You can sleep in my bed as much as you want!" She added while hurrying out the door.

"Don't bother the dorm mother more than you already have." Noire smiled dryly. Seeing her peppiness was somehow calming her down more than anything else today. There was no time to mope around in self-pity. She had plans to craft and preparations to make!

She left the terrace determinedly and closed the door behind her.

"Grblfx…." The staffer who had been crushed behind it slowly slid down the wall.

* * *

"Are you sure about that?" Noire asked with a dry throat. Her ear was glued to the N-gear.

"Y-yes." Uni replied with less certainty each second. "I want to… I _need_ to stay with Nepgear. I promised to look after her, th-that's all."

What did she mean 'that's all'? Who did she promise to? Wasn't this obviously just an excuse?

"You will stay with Nepgear, who is staying with Uzume." Noire collected her thoughts. "Do you want to help her as well?"

"If I have time." She said unenthused. So it wasn't about Uzume at all.

"If anything happens let me know first." Noire said after a few seconds of silence.

"You… approve?" Uni sounded more surprised than happy.

Wasn't that a little rude? Did she really think so ill of Noire?

"You are mature enough to make your own decisions now." And as long as Nepgear was around to look out for her it would be fine. She should probably not mention that part though. "In fact I would like you to give Uzume advice about all things concerning Lastation. You are the only one who can do that for her." Aside from Noire of course.

"Will do!" Uni had just realized her responsibility. Hopefully that would give her something to cling to in these turbulent times.

"Make me and the citizens proud." She said with forced vigor.

"Big sis… uhm… Please be safe." Her worried voice was really cute.

"Who do you think I am?" Noire chuckled. "Call me every day, got it? For status reports." Definitely not because she would feel lonely… She wasn't able to admit her true feelings yet it seemed.

"Eh? Yes, I am talking to big sis. W-wait for me Nepgear! I have to go now. Speak to you soon?" Uni was in a hurry to hang up.

"Right." Noire pressed the speaker closer to her face and gulped. "L…love you!" She immediately hung up after saying it.

'Gaaaaah! So embarrassing!'

She held her steaming face with both hands and let go of the N-gear. She wasn't ready for direct sisterly affection yet.

After cooling down she looked through her room. There was a lot of stuff to sort through before she left. And she had to leave. If she stayed at the Basilicom she would be tempted to interfere with her successors work. Right now she should be focused on her next steps instead.

Money wasn't a problem. As expected of someone as meticulous as Noire, she had long since saved up funds for a time of emergency. With the savings in her account she and Uni could have easily lasted a few years without so much as raising a finger. Much longer if it was just her alone.

But money wasn't an issue to her anyway. It was a necessity of life, but to be happy Noire would need to do something. She was the type that couldn't cope without work. Funds or not, she would still search for a career. That was a given.

She opened the closet and went through all the cosplay outfits she had crafted in secret. Each and every one of these had been sewed with care and attention to detail. They were extremely high quality, if she was allowed to judge them herself. With this skill she could certainly become a designer. But she would rather wear them with her friends and go around a convention.

Next she went to the secret compartment in the floor. Two taps at the right place and the spot opened up, revealing a guitar case, a costume and a wig. This was her gear for the secret concerts she participated in. Her stage name was **Onyx Heart**. The only one who knew about this secret hobby was Neptune right now. At least Noire believed she was (spoiler: she wasn't the only one). And of course her mentor in musical matters, 5pb.

She lightly strummed the guitar and whistled an intuitive melody. This was a good feeling. The rush she got on stage was comparable to a great achievement in her job or… a date with Neptune.

She shook her head and moved on to the desk. Neatly piled on top of it were several forms and letters. The one closest to the edge was of special interest. A voice acting gig. She had sent in some mega- no giga… okay, _terabytes_ of recorded lines! The company had eventually given in and sent her a formal letter of congratulations for getting the job. They obviously knew that she was Lady Black Heart, which was the reason they hesitated in the first place. Her aliases were already see-through enough, but her voice was one of the most recognizable in all of Gamindustri in the first place.

She was going to do it in her free time, but now she might be able to focus on it full time. In fact she finally had time for all her hobbies! What was this unknown bliss? No limitations, just pure enjoyment. This was a revolution of the entertainment industry as far as she was concerned.

Now she would just have to make a call to the concert organizers and take a few chances. She could probably talk to them while doing some paperwork. And then she would send some sketches of new costume designs to the local main brands. While she was at it she could also take care of her work related e-mails. Efficiency was key-

"Ah." She stopped in her tracks and put down the letters from her hands. "That's right." Realization dawned on her. There was no work to take care of anymore. She had almost automatically adjusted her schedule around her workload like usual.

Despite having so much freedom now, she felt an incredible sense of entrapment. As if her life was suddenly limited. She was full of ideas what to do, but everything seemed so colorless all of a sudden.

"Stop that." She scolded herself. Work had been her life for so long, but she had changed, right? Now she had friends and even… a girlfriend. Even a loner like her had finally found people who would put up with her selfishness.

When had she realized that she wanted to be a CPU to feel useful? To feel needed? And when did she stop feeling like work was the only thing that mattered?

It was when Neptune had confessed to her.

Leaving her old life behind weighed heavily on her mind, no doubt. To cope with that she wanted to throw herself at her hobbies. But what she really wanted right now… was to be with Neptune. Seek comfort in her arms.

Could she really admit to that weakness? If she broke down now it would only make things harder in the future.

She sat down on her rolling chair and looked at the number on her N-gear. Her fingers had instinctively pulled up Neptune's number. Hearing her voice would help so much right now…

There was still the issue of the proposal.

Her mind was preoccupied with the change in life-style, but it never stopped circling around that part. Marriage wasn't something she had even wasted one brain cell on until a few months ago. Then when she and Neptune had their big fight she had come up with this 'bet' as a solution to their problem. A proof of their earnest feelings and will to keep competing. It was as much a reassurance for the people of Gamindustri as it was an honest wish she had disguised as such.

Because of her 'proof' the four of them were now in this predicament. Who could have expected that they would _**all**_ lose the Share race? At the same time no less!

If Noire hadn't wanted to propose she would not have come up with that bet. She had to start from there. Naturally she never expected it to come this early. She thought it would happen far in the future when the world would be a different place and her relationship with Neptune would be so much deeper. They had barely dated a year, so this seemed almost unreasonable.

But they had known each other almost their entire life. The four of them had always been connected, one way or another. Even when they weren't friends, she had always considered Neptune, Vert and Blanc as people she could respect, even if only as rivals or enemies.

Yes, there weren't many people with as much history as them…

Maybe there was another reason she had made that bet. For if one of them dropped out of the Share race, they would cease being a CPU. Who knew what the consequences would be? Well, now they found out, but what if it had been worse? In the end, making Neptune become part of her family, her nation, would have been one way to save her and Nepgear from that fate.

Of course her reasons weren't entirely selfless. That didn't help Blanc or Vert. She had only thought of herself again…

"Wife." She whispered the word to herself. It sounded beautiful, yet somehow wrong. Nobody was prepared for marriage. She came to that conclusion. The time spent together before the deal was sealed was not important. At the altar everyone got weak legs and nervous sweats.

More importantly though, _she_ had to be the one to propose. Ever since their relationship started Neptune had been the one to take the lead. She was the one who confessed, she was the one who dragged her on their first date, she was the one who stole her first kiss, she was…

She was braver than her in every aspect.

This couldn't continue! At least this once Noire wanted to take the initiative. Not to a small degree, because it was her idea in the first place. The proposing side usually took the lead in the marriage. She wanted to be the backbone, the one cementing their love into something stable.

Neptune was probably thinking the same thing. She would come at her with all her determination and try to swoop her off her legs again, like a prince in shining armor. But this princess would steal her thunder! She had no skill in the art of wooing someone and she probably never would have, but putting that ring on Neptune's slender finger… that's something she could do.

If they could live together and laugh together she could maybe bear this human existence after all.

"Prepare yourself Neptune." She said with a funny cackle. "I'm coming for you!"

Well, right after she had sorted out this mess in her room and found a new place to stay. And after that job interview. Possibly after one or two minor concerts. Definitely before she went on world tour as a famous idol.

Busy, busy, busy…

 _(To be continued)_

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

"Hi everyone across the sound waves, welcome back to _**Hi Five Radio Extra**_ _!_ The only radio show with everyone's favorite idol 5pb.! I had to keep that line in, because of my manager, please don't think I'm conceited."

 _Laughing in the background._

"W-wow it has been an eventful day, hasn't it? So many of you have written in with heartfelt and interesting e-mails, but the concept of the show has also changed a little. Because of a suggestion from my supervisor we switched from reading your e-mails to taking Chirper messages instead! Just send them in at # _HiFiveRadioEx_ and we will select appropriate ones _… together_. You are such a worrywart Cave."

 _Calm whispering._

"Alrighty! Let's look for a good one today too. This Chirp comes from a girl under the pen name **Onyx Heart** … w-wait isn't Lady No- n-nobody I would know!"

 _The sound of almost fallen over equipment._

"A lot of girls with 'heart' on this show haha! N-no I'm not nervous! So let's see what she wrote. Right now."

[Hello 5pb., I hope I'm not bothering you.]

"Never Lady No-….Nonyx Heart. Ah, I bit my tongue… ouch."

[I am currently considering making a career as a singer/songwriter/guitarist and I would like to have your professional opinion on how to start out. Much appreciated.]

"Wow! An upcoming artist and rival! I feel honored that you would ask me of all people for advice on that. What do you mean by starting a career though? Aren't you super busy?"

 _Whispering._

"I know this isn't a live chat! Uhm… so how to start out. Well I was scouted by a few people back in my street performing days. The rest just kind of happened. So… my advice is to put all your heart into your songs and hope for the best!"

"That is terrible advice."

"Yikes… You don't have to be so mean about it. Also I think the mic picked up your voice Cave. But this is honestly how it happens all the time. You could also go to an audition or a talent show, but I think you already have an underground following Onyx Heart. Just believe in your music and the people will start believing in you!"

"Like a goddess?"

"Yeah, like a goddess- NO! I didn't mean it like that. P-please stop hijacking my show. S-so I hope that was good advice. I am sure that we two can become friends and maybe do a co-op concert sometime in the future. Promise? Teehee."

 _Jingle plays._

"And that's all the time we have for today. Please look forward to next time everyone! 5pb. plugging out~"

 _Fwoop._


	4. Episode 3: Blanc

**Okay. So there might have been SOME loose ends after all...  
**

* * *

 **Episode 3: Blanc**

Blanc dragged her coat behind in the windy gardens of the mansion. She was heading straight for the gate. The twins would be waiting at the train station, because they had ran ahead of her. Now that they couldn't transform anymore travel was severely limited. The sky was not their free road anymore.

"Damn it." Blanc cursed while kicking the loose earth and trampling on a single flower.

"Do you have a moment?" Vert's voice rang through the garden and reached her without fail.

But Blanc pretended to not have heard it. She would stubbornly walk on and go home… where it was safe.

"You may not wish to discuss this under these circumstances…" The blonde girl didn't let her go. She kept trailing her even past the gate. "…but I need clarification."

"…" Blanc grimaced and stopped in her tracks. It's not like she had forgotten about it. How could she? But this was a shitty time for explanations.

"Thank goodness." Vert said out of breath. It must have been a relief to her when Blanc finally stopped marching ahead. She was definitely leaning on her legs and resting a bit before getting back to questioning her. "During that time."

That time. Blanc knew exactly what she meant. It was hard to forget.

"What happened?" She asked with a low voice.

"Stupid question…" Blanc rubbed her tired eyes. "I was just a little tipsy! It happens." She dodged the question.

"Do they now mix alcohol into plain coffee?" Vert was obviously not satisfied with that excuse.

Why now? Vert wasn't interested in questioning her motives for the last few weeks, so why bring it up now? Because Blanc was at her weakest? This straw-for-brains wannabe lady had a cruel sense of humor!

"…material." She mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"It was just for material! What else could it have been?! Don't act like you didn't even get that much yet, idiot!" Blanc turned around and yelled with a pissed off expression.

"Ah." Vert's eyes turned cold. But there was also some doubt in there. "That would explain it." She finally caved in.

Seeing this reaction made Blanc even more pissed off. She was taking that pretty well, huh? Vert probably also just wanted to get this 'argument' over with. The truth was not important as long as a convenient explanation was available.

"If you got it now… I'm going home." She turned back to the road and wandered off.

All the way to the station she was silently biting her lip.

* * *

Blanc was not a particularly flexible person. She liked when things were in order and stayed the same. A new book here, a game release there, perhaps even a new theme park, but aside from that she would live her life pretty streamlined.

When things did not go her way she would smash them back into place. Subtlety was not her strength when it concerned unknown factors. In her own bubble she was completely able to do anything, but outside she needed a shell thicker than the skin of a Holy Whale.

Her home was the center of that bubble. The castle that conveniently also acted as Lowee's Basilicom was a place of peace and fulfillment for her. The tranquility was occasionally interrupted by the loud playfulness of the twins and the rare visit from outsiders, but overall she could enjoy this world of hers to the fullest.

The borders of the bubble were Lowee's borders. Everything outside of that was dangerous. The days of war had long since ended and even Blanc enjoyed the occasional trip to the other nations, but in general she preferred to stay in her own borders.

And now she would lose her bubble.

All these years of serving the people and protecting Lowee seemed meaningless now. No matter how much they wanted to love her, nothing could be done. From now on she wasn't qualified to be a CPU anymore.

There was no doubt that Blanc received the worst blow from those news. The others all had some inner strength to overcome such adversity, but Blanc's strength came from this bubble! It came from being who she was. And that included being a CPU.

But if she was honest, all of that didn't matter either. She knew how to harden her shell. To let nothing get to her. She would have been able to deal with that at least. Losing her position didn't mean she needed to leave necessarily. She and her sisters could stay in this castle. There were a lot of jobs she qualified for, not all of them involving brute strength.

Like writing. She could become a fulltime writer now…

No. She couldn't write anymore. Not after the incident. Everything inside her head rejected the very idea. What was once one of her most integral parts was now ripped out and laid bare on the floor. A jumbled mess that not even she could recognize. No 'heart' to be found.

Where would they go? What would they do? She could not show weakness until the twins had at least gotten a secure future ahead of them.

Blanc rolled over on her giant bed. She had been pushing her face into the pillow for so long that it now displayed the same pattern. The blinds on her windows were closed to make the room as dark and moody as her mind. Actually she just wanted to catch some sleep. But with these troubles plaguing her brain there was no rest.

 _Knock knock._

A knocking at the door made Blanc rise up and sit on the edge of her bed. She didn't make a sound to indicate that she was inside, but the door opened anyway. Peeking through the slit was C-sha. Her slant gray eyes were catching Blanc with ease. As if she had already known that she was here.

"Want to talk?" She asked seriously.

* * *

Lowee's hunting guild was one of the most prestigious, if not the best in the entire continent. Hardly anybody would question their rank as the number one. Its accessible nature and friendly treatment of newcomers was one of its greatest assets. So it wasn't unusual to see a lot of beginners form parties with experienced veterans around the quest boards and the bar.

Right now Blanc and C-sha were sitting close to the ever crackling fireplace. This fire had not been extinguished since the founding of the guild. The innkeeper made sure of that. Not seldom would a weary hunter return from a long night of pursuing their prey and cry blessed tears after seeing the fire's gentle glow.

The wooden chairs covered in red wool were comfortable and made even the most strung up ruffian relax. This role was now played by Blanc of course. C-sha crossed her legs with a stress-free pose and took a sip of her hot chocolate. Their opposite behavior was making them look like reversed mirror images.

"I heard about the situation from K-sha." She said calmly. Those four were close friends after all. No news went past the ears of their former leader even now. "Feeling stressed out about a place to stay?"

"As if." Blanc grumbled into her mug.

"I had a little chat with the innkeeper and the Guildmaster. They said you could stay at this inn for free as long as you want. The Golden Twins included of course." She smiled supportively.

"I didn't ask for your help." Blanc was playing rough, but in the end she didn't have anything to object to. This place was like a second home to them in a way. When Lowee had forgotten her, these people took them in without question. "Thanks." She said almost inaudibly.

"Haha, you are welcome. It would be pretty bold of the old man to deny that request; considering you are the reason business is blooming in Lowee. And those trophies didn't get there on their own, right~?" She pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

Above the fireplace and the bar hung a variety of monster pieces. Particularly popular were their skulls and tails. Sitting in this comfy room, the possibility of such vile creatures roaming outside seemed ludicrous. But they had all been walking and flying across the lands not too long ago.

Of course C-sha was referring to the fact that about 70% of all trophies here came from one group of huntresses. They were already legendary in the eyes of all those hunters around them. Their names were Blanc, C-sha, Rom and Ram.

"'Maybe you've heard of them before?' I asked him. He personally scrubbed your room and repaired the bathroom. On the house!" She winked.

"The stubborn old coot did that?" Blanc raised a brow in disbelief.

"Yeah. Just had to play him in a short round of blackjack." She shrugged.

"What happened to him being grateful?" The short girl shook her head.

"He is really thankful to you, I guarantee it! If it had been me, I'd have asked for some treasure to repay his debt, but you wouldn't take some petty coin, hm?"

"'course not."

"The color returned to your face, but there is still something wrong, isn't there?" C-sha put down her cup and leaned her arms on the table. Always perceptive.

"I lost." She said with a downcast expression.

"Lost what?" C-sha had no idea what she was getting at.

"The Share Race. My dignity. Everything." Blanc held her forehead and sighed.

"Is that really a loss?"

"Yes! It ain't fair one bit! But it counts. I failed Lowee and now we're in such a messed up situation. We wouldn't have… I wouldn't have lost if Uzume never…"

"So this is Uzume's fault then? You lost to _her_?" C-sha unapologetically poked deeper .

"I don't even know anymore…" Blanc was done with thinking that part over. "Now I'm human and lost everything… and they're still kicking me while I'm down." She gritted her teeth.

"The proposal." The girl with beret averted her eyes for just a moment. That one was definitely on her as well. She hadn't expected Blanc to be this worked up about it though. "About that-" She turned back to her friend to give her the results of her own contemplations, but when she looked ahead she only saw Blanc's hat. Her face was already resting on her arms as she snored quietly on the table.

Finally she had found a chance to relax it seemed. C-sha's eyes turned softer and she slowly got up from her armchair.

* * *

"What what why? Why can't we see her?!" A loud voice rang through the room.

"She is sleeping tight. Do you want to wake her up and experience grumpy Blanny again?"

"Uwaaah! Scary~"

"Let's run Ram."

"I know a faster way down the stairs hohoho!"

"Wait Ram… d-don't slide down there…!"

"Phew, they got so much spare energy even after becoming human. Kids will be kids." C-sha's voice trailed through the darkness.

Blanc finally opened her eyes which felt heavy as lead. She had been resting inside the warm blanket of the inn room's dragon tooth bed (no dragons were harmed in the making of the furniture).

"Hrmhm… Did I… get knocked out?" Blanc rubbed her eyes and patted the surroundings for something familiar. She didn't find it. Right, this wasn't her room. As she moved out of the blanket she noticed that she was in her white dress only. Her coat, hat and boots were all neatly put up at the wardrobe.

"The all-nighters finally got you. It was just one good hit, but that's all they needed for the jackpot." C-sha spun her beret on one finger and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"You didn't… carry me up here, right?" Blanc made an uneasy prediction.

"Sure did. You are light as a feather." C-sha laughed. "Did all the grilled meat not stick to anything?"

"You're the only one who shoves that into her face all the time." The small girl retorted.

"Now I sound like some sort of glutton." Even she felt her image was getting worse apparently. "I already told Financier about the happenings, so you can rest here tonight. She promised to bring your stuff over tomorrow."

"All of it?" Blanc was actually worried for the poor maid's back. Even if she used a carriage or something.

"I offered to help, but she said it was a maid's duty to carry her master's weight. Also she isn't accepting a change of contract." C-sha was completely defeated by Financier's determination already. Blanc could read it on her face.

"If it's her she might just be able to do it." Their strange faith in that woman's capabilities might have seemed irresponsible to an outsider, but Financier had proven time and time again that she was nothing short of a super-maid. "She isn't looking for a new employer then…" For some reason that was touching to her.

"She said the castle would be tidy and ready for your return at any time." The former Gold Third of Lowee smiled. "If I had a maid like that back then I might actually have taken my duties seriously."

"She was wasted on Azna=Leb."

"Aren't we all?" C-sha shortly lost her friendly mien when hearing that name. But then she returned to being casual.

"I'm only asking because my head is still half asleep okay?" Suddenly Blanc became serious.

"If you say so."

"What do you think I should… do now?" Those blue eyes were certainly lost.

"Hm. I am not sure either. You're in some trouble…" C-sha was made uncomfortable by this vulnerable Blanc's inquiry.

"It's because you agreed to that stupid bet!" Suddenly Blanc snapped at her.

C-sha's eyes widened. Now that she heard the accusation straight from her partner's mouth she could not avoid it anymore. She looked down at her restless hands and took a deep breath.

"I will take responsibility."

"Hah?"

"You heard me Blanny." She was completely serious about this. "It's my fault that you have to propose to someone now, so it might as well be me." She leaned forward to stare at Blanc closely. "Just marry _me_."

"Just- The heck are you saying?" Blanc was taken aback.

"Don't worry; I've already thought one step ahead." She hastily waved her hand in front of her face. "We will simply divorce right after! That way you won't have to be bound to anyone and we all can laugh at the obvious loophole." She rubbed her long brown hair awkwardly.

"…" The words had to sink in for a while. Minutes passed even. Minutes in which C-sha became more and more jittery. She was probably more embarrassed than Blanc felt.

"N-no good?" She finally couldn't bear it anymore and inquired with a twitchy smile.

"Sorry." Blanc shook her head. Her expression was somber and distant.

"Oh… ahaha… yeah, I am not really wife material. But I would make a decent family man." She gloomily let her head sink.

"I don't think you are a bad choice at all." Those words came as a shock to C-sha for sure. "But it wouldn't be fair to you. Marrying you. Divorcing you. That's some really harsh punishment for some joke bet." The ex-CPU explained.

"You worry about other's feelings too much." She looked at her friend with a slightly slanted head and sighed painfully.

"I don't wanna hear that from you. Offer your body to someone else." Blanc growled.

"Ouch. I take that back. So insensitive." C-sha chuckled.

"Also I don't really feel like going through with something like that…" She rubbed her nose.

"There is someone else, huh?" The perceptive blue clad girl deduced.

"THERE ISN'T!" Blanc's retort was like the roar of a medieval canon.

C-sha was almost blown off of her chair, but managed to hold on to the bed's frame.

"T-the harder you object the more obvious it becomes." She laughed weakly.

"If there was, would I even be stuck in this shitty situation?!" Blanc wasn't happy with those accusations. Not one bit.

"Got'cha. There is nobody you love and nobody you would let yourself get tied up with. In that case you'll have to think fast on your feet. The rest is probably preparing for their proposals as we speak." C-sha flipped her beret back on her head and got up.

"You're leaving already?" She seemed at least a little apologetic.

"Yup. There are a few more things to take care of for a girl in my position." She shrugged.

"Aren't you Miss popular…" Blanc yawned. She was still not fully rested.

"Not popular enough for bachelorettes on the search for a better half though." A small jab at Blanc's conscience. Just a little one.

"You don't deserve that headache." The white clad girl on the bed said self-depreciating.

"…you never let my try." C-sha whispered and then opened and closed the door.

* * *

Outside the room she was closing her eyes and thinking everything through. Blanc's eyes were hurting so much… that couldn't be just because of the bet. Not even because of losing her position as CPU. There was some other history behind that expression.

Something that had hurt her long before the crisis began. But what could it possibly be? If she wanted to free her partner from the chains that bound her to a depressing fate then she would give it her all.

It was time to investigate Blanc's secret despair.

 _(To be continued)_

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

"Can you hear me on the other side of the amplifier people?! This is **Hi Five Radio Extra**! The only show! With me! As of right now anyway. Haha how do you like this manager?"

 _Confused groaning._

"She is always so serious… Welcome back loyal listeners. Today I am really pumped up, because I gave a super fun performance at the local elementary school! Children are sooo cute, right?"

"Ahem."

"W-well let's get right to Chirper then. Today let's select a Chirp from just a few minutes ago… This one comes from pen name: **Bu-mer-ran**. And they said:"

[Greetings… I'm thinking of marrying someone and divorcing them right after. What's the cooldown between the altar and requesting divorce forms…? Just curious.]

"EHHHH?!"

 _Loud rumbling and the sound of fluttering papers._

"Y-you can't do that! Really, really, really don't even think of that! Why would you marry that person if you just wanted to divorce them anyway?! You can only marry the person you truly love, you hear? I won't allow such a sad marriage! I wouldn't perform for that kind of marriage! Please reconsider!"

 _Heavy breathing._

"What Miss 5pb. is trying to say…"

 _A new voice of a stoic person flares up._

"She is not a lawyer and doesn't understand the intricacies of legal matters. Please redirect your concerns to a judicial expert."

"NO! Don't encourage them Cave! True love will always prevail, just like music is an unstoppable emotion that will sway the world! This is a bad person! They need to respect their partner- mmmphg!"

"There is no need for you to get so upset that you shed tears… There you have it. You made her cry. I understand the need for a swift legal decision, but if you wish to do so, then keep Miss 5pb. out if it. Also it really hurts when you bite my hand like that."

"Mphhh! L-let mwe gwo… I'll write a song that will save their marriage!"

"That will cause major spikes in marriages all across the country and I don't think there are enough facilities ready for that. That's it audience. 5pb. is plugging out now."

"You big meanieeeee-"

 _Fwoop._


	5. Episode 4: Vert

**I wonder how many people ignored the warning about reading the prequel first? It is only going to get more confusing. (lol)  
**

* * *

 **Episode 4: Vert**

"If you got it now… I'm going home."

Vert watched Blanc strut off into the forest path. She did not turn around again. Then she finally disappeared at the edge of her vision.

This was a disaster.

She had expected nothing less of Blanc of course, but even so she felt hurt. That reply could have been the truth. Vert even half expected that to be the case. But when the small girl said it in such a desperate tone, anyone would have figured out it wasn't the whole truth. Blanc's actions were haphazard since some time ago. But after finally mending their differences she had hoped to find a mutual understanding… between friends.

But when _that_ incident happened things had gotten even more askew than before.

Vert rubbed her cheek with a downcast expression. She might as well have received a smack across the face.

"One thing after another." She rued this chain of bad events in her life recently. Some of them were self-inflicted, others completely out of her control. There was however no doubt that she would work to fix them as best as she could.

To that end she would first focus on the biggest issue… the Share drain. Unlike the rest who had already resigned to this fate, she still wasn't quite satisfied with the state of affairs. Histoire had obviously been keeping information from them. Vert could not tell why she would do such a thing, but it was unlike the Oracle to tell a lie, no matter how well intentioned.

There were things beyond the scope that one person could imagine too, so she would first get a second opinion on the crisis.

* * *

The peak of the Hello Mountains was not that impressive, only towering higher than an average skyscraper, but it still provided a good view on the surrounding area. The lush greenery and breathtaking view on the distant ocean made it a famous tourist spot as well as the gathering place for artists and photographers.

The girl sitting cross-legged on top of a giant rock was neither of the former categories. Her 'profession' was more of a hobby and it involved things on this mountain, rather than its view. Bugs to be precise. Insects and other creatures.

The purple haired beauty had little interest in the going-ons of the world, but she was not ignorant. There was no doubt that she had long since tried everything she could to find out the solution to the problem that threatened her friends.

"Greetings Neptune." Vert waved her hand at the foot of the rock.

"Vertsy! Nice to see ya. Come up here, it's a great view." The teenage looking Neptune from another dimension casually offered Vert to sit next to her.

The blonde girl pulled up her dress a little and climbed the rock to the top. She sat down with a satisfied sigh and looked up into the picturesque scene. From here Gamindustri did not appear to be in any trouble at all. Nature had its way to make all human concerns appear trivial.

"Crackers?" Ultra Neptune held out a pack to Vert while nibbling on one of the chocolate coated snacks herself.

"No thank you, they would make me feel even thirstier I fear." Vert was not particularly happy about the stamina loss she had experienced since she lost her Shares. It wasn't incapacitating or anything, but someone who mainly acted as a 'shut in' as toxic tongues would put it, a sudden mountain hike was somewhat of a challenge.

"True~ Then take this instead." She handed her a canteen that was filled with cold water. This time Vert took her offer gratefully.

"Haah… people only appreciate the simple things when they are lacking them." Vert felt incredibly refreshed.

"You're wise Master." Neptune bowed her head jokingly.

"I am rather envious of your energy."

"It's my only good point." She shook the collar of her black hoodie dress to let some cooling air in. "What a coincidence to meet you here tho. Do you like mountains too?"

"Not in particular." Vert smiled wryly. "I actually came here because I heard you were sighted in the area."

"For real? But you could have just called me!" She turned towards Vert in surprise.

"Do you have a cell-phone?"

"Not really." Ultra Neptune said with a neutral expression.

"And you did not settle down yet?"

"Nope."

Vert looked at her for a good while, making Neptune feel more self-conscious by the second.

"Sorry." She finally said with a guilty smile.

"No matter. I did find you in the end." It was not easy at all. She had to use quite a few contacts to sniff out this girl's location. Not made any easier by the fact that she was hopping dimensions… Histoire had a way to contact her, but Vert was specifically trying not to involve her in this. If this was one of their usual meetings between the secret organization members, Marvelous. would have tracked Neptune down. That ninja was always scarily good at finding her prey. But this had nothing to do with L.O.V.E.M.A.X. and Marvy had been out on some mission for a while now.

In the end it had taken days to finally pinpoint her here.

"Did I mess up somehow? Are you still holding a grudge because I helped Affimax back then?" Neptune threw around guesses without much thought.

"Do you take me for someone who holds grudges over trivialities?" Vert shook her head. "You helped me a great deal back then, so do not make me look like an ungrateful monster."

"Let me use those huge baths again, that's all I need for gratitude." She gave her a thumbs up.

"That is a humble request, but if you cannot help me in this case then Leanbox' baths might be out of my jurisdiction." The blonde crossed her arms and straightened her back. Her legs were crossed ladylike even on this uneven rock.

"Ah…" Ultra Neptune nodded understandingly. She seemed to have forgotten about the situation for a second. "You know I tried to find the origin of that drain hole or whatever. Crosty took me to the Zero dimension and everywhere around, but there is nothing to see at all. Everything looks… normal." She looked down into the plain at the foot of the mountain. It seemed to represent her words. Despite the imbalance in the world, nothing had changed on the surface.

"I had assumed that would be the case. If you had found something you surely would have informed Histoire." Vert nodded sympathetically.

"Definitely! Histy was really sad when I last saw her. I hope she will cheer up soon."

"Agreed." Vert turned towards the adventurous girl. "The reason why I tracked you down was actually because of this." She pointed at the notebook hanging out of the black hoodie dress' pocket.

The Nep-Note. A powerful item of unexplained origin. Something that could trap any creature inside without escape, constantly draining their powers to weaken and keep them imprisoned. Quite the sinister object owned by such a cute girl.

"You wanna talk to Crosty?" Neptune looked less than happy. "She's not going to be cooperative." Her predictions were founded on lots of experience.

Croire was another tome girl similar to Histoire. A girl tasked with compiling the history of the world. Her powers were perhaps much farther developed than that of Planeptune's Oracle. She had certainly meddled with them a lot during the crisis with Tari's CPU. But ever since she had been captured by Ultra Neptune she had lead a rehabilitative imprisonment inside this notebook. Her powers of dimensional travel were still working and quite handy.

"I will take my chances." Vert said calmly and pulled the Nep-note out of the pocket. She then flipped it to a much opened page and spotted the butterfly wings drawn into the pages. "Good day Croire. How is this notebook treating you?"

"…" The tome girl did not reply. Clearly she was going to keep silent the entire time. Neptune was correct about her uncooperativeness.

"Should I get the knitting needles?" Neptune asked with a glint in her purple eyes.

"That won't be necessary. Under pressure she might simply come up with some convincing lies." Vert raised a hand to stop the overeager girl. "I only have a few questions for you. Nothing _awfully exerting_."

"I don't like yer lip lardass." Croire hissed.

A reaction.

"You are most likely aware of the shift in the Shares, or am I mistaken?" Vert pressed on.

"Of course I am! The hell are ya implyin'? I noticed that like ages ago!"

Neptune whistled. She saw now what Vert's angle was.

"As expected. You knew about the Share drain towards the Zero dimension. But did you also figure out why it happened?" Vert prodded the prideful girl once more. "Histoire had a _very_ good explanation."

"Pah! That useless book has no idea what's really going on." Croire huffed.

"Truly? She seemed sure of herself." Vert acted surprised.

"Heheh hahaha! What an idiot! I bet'cha she only realized it last week when the big quakes happened." Her gleeful laugh was grating. "C'mon what did she tell ya? That the Heart dimension got squashed and now the Shares are being sucked towards Zero?"

"Indeed! I see you are well informed." Vert once again feigned surprise.

"That's it? Second rate, always has been." Croire was enjoying herself for once. Her dislike of Histoire was probably one of the few things unchanged in the centuries she had spent observing the world. "She barely got the half of it. But that suits me just fine. Things are finally gonna get interesting for me."

That was never a good sign. When things got 'entertaining' to Croire the world was facing a major problem.

"It couldn't be that bad. Uzume will take care of the people as the new central CPU. The world will keep on turning." Vert said decidedly unimpressed.

"Nothin' goes through your tiny brains and that's why y'all gonna suffer even more." The tome girl gloated. "You don't even realize the deep shit you are in right now! Hahahaha!"

"A likely story." Vert shrugged.

"Ho? Who do you think you're talking to? I saw this comin' from miles away. The void is going to become bigger and bigger until it drags the Zero dimension into it. If that trash heap even survives long enough to get pulled through, it will crash straight into your little world. How's _that_ for bad?" If she had a face right now it would probably be showing a twisted smile.

"What?! How could this be!" Ultra Neptune was visibly shocked by that revelation.

"Kekeke, that's more like it you psycho gal! Yer friends are all going to die! I wanted it to be a surprise, but this is way more fun!"

"Crosty… You knew this the entire time?" Neptune glared at the notebook. A really scary glare at that.

"Totally."

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Ya didn't ask." Croire shrugged figuratively.

"Does this mean both dimensions will be destroyed completely?" Vert kept a cool head unlike Neptune.

"Well not exactly. Zero ain't that big so it's probably just gonna do some major damage to this dimension. It's so going to ruin a lot of people's days tho. And I wouldn't wanna be the poor idiot trapped in that pocket dimension during the crash. Nobody over there is walking that off."

In other words: the Hyper dimension would be severely damaged by the collision and the Zero dimension was most likely going to be destroyed completely. Vert's eyes were clouded.

"That dead hag Kurome woulda loved to see this. Post humus revenge is the funniest hahaha!" Croire cackled again.

"Is there a way to prevent this from happening?" She asked even though she didn't expect a straight reply.

"Actually there is nothin' you could do. Even I couldn't prevent that kind of disaster at full power. All you broads can do is wait and despair." She was surprisingly open about her own inability to do anything. She was probably sure of her own survival at least. And it was more entertaining to see them realize the futility of it all.

While Ultra Neptune was taking back the note and spinning her knitting needles in preparation for some due punishment, Vert did not change her pose or contemplative expression.

"Neptune, would you please keep quiet about this conversation?"

"Huh? B-but why? The others need to know!" Neptune looked at her in confusion.

"I will inform Histoire immediately. But if she doesn't see any signs of this disaster then Croire might very well have made it up to scare us. The last thing everyone needs is a fake doomsday." She reasoned.

"That sounds like Crosty alright." Neptune nodded hesitantly.

"Hey you bitch! Are ya sayin' I'm full of shit? Why would I lie about this?" That reaction totally pissed her off.

"Quiet you." Neptune slammed the note shut and pushed it deeply into her inner dress pocket.

"Thank you for letting me talk to her. Let us convene about something less boorish next time." Vert stood up and waved the purple haired girl goodbye with a smile.

"Sure! Just because we lost the club room doesn't mean we can't have meetings anymore, righto?"

"Indeed." Though Vert was really not in the mood for coupling and romantic talk at the moment.

* * *

As opposed to her calm parting words, inside Vert was very worried. Croire's words, even if taunting, were certainly mostly true. She had no reason to make all of that up and she didn't seem to be all that imaginative in the first place.

So just as promised she made her way to meet Histoire and inform her of this new clue.

By now she and the others had already moved to the Zero dimension which acted as Uzume's base of operations. In the last year and a half she had put a lot of energy into the rebuilding efforts for her domain. To thank her for all her work the monster citizens had re-erected Planeptune's Basilicom. And it was even more magnificent than any of the Hyper dimension's Basilicoms could hope to be. The only way to describe it was Planeptune Tower on steroids.

Just as Vert left the new Share bridge, she was already bereft of breath by the awesome sight. A lightning bolt struck the spire on top of the government building. The sky of this dimension was always fluctuating. It had ceased to be only black and purple, but it was still foreign and unnatural.

Shaking off her admiration, Vert headed inside. She already knew where to find Histoire due to a previous call.

"Hello Vert. It's nice to see you in good health." Histoire greeted her with a relieved expression. It was cute how much she worried about them.

"It takes a lot more to make me bedridden." The blonde replied curtly. "As I told you on the phone I acquired some information about our situation."

"From Croire, right?" Histy didn't seem pleased.

"Yes. Do you think she was bluffing?"

"I immediately started a scan when you called me. For now I cannot sense any negative repercussions from the void, let alone a dimensional shift." Her platinum blonde hair swayed as she whizzed around the room nervously.

"That is a big weight off my shoulders." Vert released her tension a little bit.

"Yes, I will definitely keep investigating both the negative effects Croire mentioned and a way to reverse this Share drain. It will only take a little more time." She assured Vert restlessly.

"Excuse me for asking so directly… did you rest at all since the time you called us all together?" She had a bad feeling.

"There will be enough time to rest when the problem is solved!" Histoire replied impatiently.

"Do not…" Vert looked away with a complex expression. "Please do not make us worry about your health as well. If you were to collapse things would turn out even worse."

"I am not trying to worry anybody. This is not too much for me. My functions include analyzing data for several months at a time." Her words certainly were encouraging, but she still looked like she needed rest.

"That is a continuous process in which you usually cannot be disturbed correct?" Vert asked perceptively. Histy was performing several tasks at once, researching phenomena while also keeping up with all the management of Uzume's training, something that was completely above anything she had ever done.

"It… it's not a situation where I can afford to be bothered with the 'usual'." The small Oracle replied unexpectedly irritable.

Vert could not tell why she was so desperate. The new information was worrying, no doubt about that, but Histoire had already determined it to not be urgent. Which meant there was something else that put her under pressure.

Sadly Vert was not especially close to Histoire. If she wasn't going to tell her about personal worries then she could not force it out of her. That was not her place. And there were a fair amount of troubles that she had to confront herself too.

"We are counting on you, but don't take it all on your own shoulders." They were too small for so much weight.

"Thank you for your concern." Histy said with a gloomy look. "I hope you can get used to your new lifestyle soon." But she caught herself and clapped her hands together hopefully.

"Let me worry about that part myself at least." Vert smiled stiffly. And worry she would.

For now she would leave Histoire in Nepgear's care. Her little sister was always very supportive of the people around her. Thinking of that thoughtful and kind personality made Vert's chest tighten in joy. Maybe she could at least walk by Nepgear's room and say 'hello' in her own big sisterly fashion?

* * *

Back at home Vert sat down on her couch and slouched over. She felt exhausted like never before. Yesterday she had still been thinking about where to go from here, where to live and many more things while waiting for the word from her contacts about Ultra Neptune's whereabouts. Due to a surprise visit she had received yesterday that trouble was at least solved, but she still felt bad about freeloading in the Basilicom.

For now she would accept _her_ kindness though and rest here.

As she turned on her side (lying on the back with this big bust was crushing her lungs), her thoughts were finally drifting towards the remaining most pressing matter. She had discussed this yesterday, but that was just her dodging the subject. In truth she didn't want to think about the proposal at all.

"Escapism… such a boring vice." Vert scolded herself in the lonely room.

As she had joked before, marrying Nepgear would have been a good choice. But that was obviously impossible now. Did she actually _want_ to marry Nepgear though? Until this day she had always made jokes about it. She had teased her in so many ways.

Right now, if she asked her heart of hearts, she truly saw Nepgear as the adorable and perfect little sister that she was to her. Siblinghood was something grander than marriage to her. The joy Nepgear had brought to her was above such a basic concept.

Yes, she worried about her naturally, but there was nothing romantic involved anymore.

 _Anymore?_

…she still had these submerged memories. Images and feelings of another person. Simply **_a phantom_ ** of someone else inside her head. But even that person had accepted Nepgear's choice, hadn't she?

This line of thinking would lead nowhere. Vert knew that Nepgear was out of the question for many reasons, that was the short and long of it.

But she really didn't feel like proposing to anyone. For her to understand her own feelings was a task much greater than defeating even the darkest of villains. She was… incapable of reading her own heart.

She wondered how the others were dealing with this. Neptune and Noire were already an item, so their choice was obvious, but did they have the courage to go through with it? Probably.

And Blanc…

Vert's heart stopped.

Blanc could never do it. Even thinking of her struggles was too painful. She had to shut out that very image from her heart or she would start to feel depressed. 'Don't think about her. Forget about her.', that's what she needed to do the most right now. To focus on the important things… Important…

If it was just a move of convenience that hurt nobody in the equation, she could simply ask someone who was sympathetic, but not opposed to breaking it off right after. S-sha would probably help her out after some convincing. She was a pragmatist when it concerned anything but E-sha, so there was no reason to doubt her professionalism as an actress in this most twisted of performances. The role of a newlywed wife for just a day.

"…pathetic…" Vert covered her eyes with her arm and sighed.

She wasn't callous enough to do this. Wasn't the reason she had denied Chika that she didn't want to hurt someone with false feelings? Nobody deserved such a sad mockery of what should be an eternal vow of love.

No matter how she approached this as her normal self, there was no way out.

Vert needed to finally be proactive about someone.

 _(To be continued)_

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

"Hi loyal listeners… This is **Hi Five Radio Extra** and I'm 5pb."

 _Concerned mumbling._

"I'm not in a bad mood manager!"

"…and I am Cave, the new co-host."

"H-e-l-l-o Cave."

"Is there something on my face? This is radio. My appearance should not be a point of objection."

"Ugh… am I really _that_ super unreliable?"

"That is not the case. The ones who are unreliable… _are the people of Gamindustri and their Chirps._ "

"Please don't say that to our fans! S-she is just making a joke. Her jokes are just a little dry sometimes. Teehee?"

"Correct. Then please allow me the honor of picking out the Chirp. I will make sure it is appropriate this time…"

[Who is this Cave-]

[Who does that supervisor think she is to talk that way to our 5pb.-]

[Is she for real? Why does 5pb. not fire this-]

"It appears we have not received any questions today."

"Uh, but you just scrolled through so many though! Chirper is always bustling with people, so just let me check-"

 _Sound of a hand pushing back a struggling girl's head._

"That is not necessary. I have found one that is not objectionable. This person goes by the alias of **Veritable Green**."

[Fondest greetings to 5pb. and Cave. I couldn't help but notice you chose an interesting new career Cave. Was Leanbox secret service really that unimportant? With the turbulent times ahead of us it would certainly be nice to have a reliable member to serve Leanbox once more. Oh yes and 5pb. please keep doing your best too.]

"They were only questioning Cave?! Is this really still my show…?"

 _The distinct sound of slumped shoulders._

"Do not feel discouraged please. This one is just a confused person with personal issues. Nonetheless I need to respond honestly."

 _Throat clearing._

"Lady Vert, I politely decline. 5pb. is necessary for this world especially in these turbulent times. What little I can do to support her in her wonderful work is all I am worth. There is no place where I would rather be right now. I am not cute, talented or kind, but I can be there for the woman I admire. That is all."

 _30 seconds of white noise._

"Eh… u-uhm… C-cave do you really mean that?"

"Have I ever uttered a lie in front of you?"

"I don't think you _can_ even lie! Thank you."

"…no, I was not trying to make you feel indebted to me. This is my own selfishness."

"We are all selfish people in some way. But you are kind; please don't deny yourself."

"You flatter me."

"Haha, you smiled!"

"I did?"

"You sound so shocked… Wait did you just reveal the true identity of that Chirper?!"

 _Sound of falling over._

"It is no big deal. That woman has been messaging me for days now, but if she even goes so far as to send a plea to this show, I can only respond with all my courage, _right_ Lady Vert?"

"You seem to enjoy this a little bit too much…"

"Just your imagination."

"Ahem… w-well the show went some weird direction again, but that's why it's fun! That's all the time we have for today. 5pb., plugging out~!"

 _Fwoop._


	6. Episode 5: Histoire

**Episode 5: Histoire**

Histoire had seen a lot of things in her long life. She had made and lost friends many times. One of those old friends had finally returned recently. It filled her with tremendous shame that she had ever forgotten about her. After her return Histoire swore that she would make up for her past mistakes and bring things back to how they were. A happy world where everyone could smile.

That was also why she was now putting all blame on herself. If she had only predicted this turn of events… if she hadn't been so content with these tranquil days…

"Uzume can you stand?" She worriedly tried to carry the red-head's trembling body.

"Just… a sec… I need a short break." Uzume raised her hand signaling Histy to back away. And she was right to do so, because the heat emanating from her entire body was devastating enough to leave burn marks on the wall she was leaning against.

Her face was covered in sweat and her breathing ragged.

"I will get something…. Anything…" Histoire floated around the room while haphazardly thinking what to get her friend. Something to drink? She looked like she was dehydrating. Or a bed? No that would probably just burn the fabric and make a mess. What else…

Light almost exploded inside the room and a pillar of numbers covered the ancient CPU. Histy spun around in shock and witnessed the transformation. Uzume had turned into Orange Heart.

"Siiiigh…. Uzume feels so hot." She said with an exhausted expression.

"A forced transformation again…" Histy looked at her with pity. This had been happening more frequently ever since the Share drain started.

"Yep! Sorry Histy, Uzume couldn't hold it in anymore." The squishy goddess apologized and folded her gloved hands together. Her wings were keeping her above ground.

"I should be the one to apologize." Histoire said downcast. "Does it hurt?"

"Just a tiiiiiny bit. It's going to be all peachy again soon though~" Orange Heart sounded positive and gave a radiant smile to cheer Histoire up.

"H-here, drink some tea." The tome girl had finally found the dining car in the back of the room. It had been moved here after the end of the meeting.

"Tea is really bitter and icky…" Orange Heart stretched out her tongue in cute disgust.

"Right… y-you don't like tea in that form." She nodded. "Then I will get you some soda. Just wait a little!" She flew to the door and exited hastily. Behind her she could hear the familiar sound of an undone transformation.

"Thanks Histy." Uzume's cool voice had returned.

Still the Oracle left to get what she said. It was impossible to tell when the red-head was going to transform again. Better be safe than sorry.

She closed the door carefully and then moved along the hallway. The other CPUs were probably leaving the building right about now. She had excused herself and Uzume earlier so that she could take a rest.

Why did she have to suffer? Why did Uzume have to be the one to shoulder this pain after she had just received a second chance at happiness? Histoire felt powerless against the facts.

Since the Shares were flowing towards the Zero dimension and had chosen Uzume as their vessel these 'attacks' had started. The poor girl was overflowing with Share energy. Usually a CPU would receive Shares from her people; there was nothing wrong about that. Even if this CPU ruled over the entire world, she would not suffer any consequences from this. The reason for that was the nation's **Sharicite**. A little known fact about these giant crystals was that they served as a buffer between the goddess and the Shares.

The faith would gather as Shares and first flow into the Sharicite and afterwards into the respective CPU should she call upon it. It was an easy system, but it made all the difference. Even a Console Patron Unit's body was not made to receive this much power unfiltered. Uzume had been relying on small pieces of Sharicite to transform for the longest time, because the Zero dimension did not have a national Sharicite. Once or twice she had directly tapped into the faith of her citizens, but that was never the same magnitude as all of Gamindustri's Shares at once.

Basically, as a vessel her body was completely unfit. If there was a way to cut her off from the Share flow…

* * *

"What would happen to the Zero dimension then? What would happen to everybody over there?" Uzume had asked with serious eyes.

"A Sharicite would form that would grow unpredictably…" Histoire trailed off.

"And then?"

"I am not sure. But the most likely scenario is that it would grow endlessly across the entire dimension and bend space in unnatural ways." She couldn't lie to Uzume's face, so she gave her the cold truth.

"So if I just keep this crazy power in check, everyone will be safe?" She made that determined look again… Now there was nothing that could stop her.

"I cannot make any promises."

"That's fine. I always took chances when I could. Don't look so sad Histy. I won't croak over something like this." That unbending confidence was perplexing. "Ah, but could ya perhaps keep this a secret from the others?" She added.

"Why?! If they knew…"

"They'd just worry even more. Everyone's got their work cut out for them. Turning human… you don't just walk that off."

She was concerned more about others even now?

But that would mean they couldn't even understand what Uzume went through. She would just look like someone who took their purpose away without any consequence. As if she had just sat around and received Gamindustri as a gift wrapped package.

"I want them to look at me as an equal, not someone who needs to be protected or worried after." The red-head said while rubbing her head awkwardly. "My reasons are kinda lame, huh?"

* * *

Not at all. To Histoire that wasn't 'lame'.

She didn't want to see her suffer. She didn't want any of this to happen. The other girls were facing a new life as humans now and she felt bad about that too. Under different circumstances she would probably have prioritized Neptune and co.'s problems. As Planeptune's Oracle it should be her first and foremost duty to make certain that it would prosper…

That's why she had decided to combine those two duties. To save Uzume she would have to reverse this Share drain at all costs. That would also return the old CPUs back to power. It sounded perfect and would kill two birds with one stone.

But life was never that simple.

Uzume had decided to bet her life on this, but even she could not have predicted how horrifying the repercussions were. Her body was forcefully going into HDD over and over, because it could not handle the Share energy inside. The problem with this was that in the transformed state she was pulling on the power of the Shares even more directly. Basically she became a super-conductor that would fry eventually…

So every moment she spent in HDD was incredibly painful and agonizing.

Uzume's willpower was impressive. She always managed to forcefully cancel the transformation until now. It was the equivalent of ripping out the electric cable from the socket in the wall. Only that this cable was made out of burning hot metal and the plug was screwed in there with titanium bolts.

In short, she wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. And the periods of calm were growing shorter by the day.

"Histy?" Suddenly IF's voice rang through the hallway. The tome girl snapped out of her gloomy thoughts and looked up.

"Ah yes, what is it IF?" She tilted her head questioningly. She had completely forgotten what she was trying to do here.

"I made the calls and got in touch with everyone. They all agreed to lend a hand." The guild member put a hand on her waist and nodded to Histy with encouragement.

"Those are wonderful news. When will they arrive?" She finally felt something like relief in her tiny chest.

"Some tomorrow, others the day after. Apparently they were all close to returning to Gamindustri anyway." The brunette smiled.

"I see. Then I will take Uzume and Nepgear to the Zero dimension now. We need to prepare the Basilicom for the coming days."

"Good luck with that. I hope they aren't too harsh on Uzume. If you need anything from me, just call." IF chuckled and left for the stairwell.

"I will."

Everyone was so reliable. They had all given their support or gracefully accepted her unreasonable requests. The CPUs and candidates were moving ahead despite the great changes that had been pushed upon them. All Histoire could do was wish them the best and that they would enjoy their time rather than despair.

* * *

The next day had come soon. Planeptune's Basilicom in the Zero dimension was spacious and perfect as a base of operations for all 5 nations combined. This place would serve as the main training ground for Uzume from now on. A place of learning, training and rest.

And who could be better as tutors for a beginner CPU than the Oracles of the four nations?

"Greetings Lady Uzume Tennouboshi. My name is Kei Jinguji and I am the former Oracle of Lastation." The polite woman bowed her silver head slightly with one hand on her chest. She almost resembled a refined noble in her gestures and outfit alike. A black suit was covering her entire body and giving her a distinguished and professional aura. She had not changed much from back then other than the fact that she was now wearing a short ponytail, reminiscent of the kind a handsome prince would sport.

"Uh… yeah, nice to meetcha Kei!" Uzume was not so good with the formal stuff, so she just received the serious Oracle with her casual style.

"Hm." Kei was giving her an analyzing look. She probably didn't like that Uzume just assumed she could call her by first name.

"You can just call me Uzume if you want." She hastily added to put them on the same level.

"I shall then." Kei nodded. She always liked equivalent exchange.

"Uhm… me next? Understood." A mature looking lady with a red hat and glasses approached from behind the other girls. "My name is Mina Nishizawa and I was the caretaker of Rom and Ram."

"Wow, that's impressive!" The weird part was that Uzume wasn't sarcastic.

"Mina…" Kei sighed and shook her head.

"Oh… ehm… and I was also the Oracle of Lowee too." She stumbled over herself to add that fact. Her impractically long light blue hair swooshed around as she bowed apologetically.

"So many jobs! Glad to have ya around." Wasn't Uzume a little _too_ easy to impress?

"Hmph…." The last girl in line was not as forward as the other two. Her long green ponytail was hanging over her left shoulder loosely and her arms were crossed dismissively.

"Chika, please." Histoire looked at her pleadingly. The black-clad girl looked perturbed by her friend's expectant face and gave in.

"…I'm Chika Hakozaki. Don't think I will forgive you for taking my darling Vert's country away!" She immediately went on the offensive…

"Yeah I can't make up for Vertsy's smarts and tenacity." Uzume agreed. "But if you all help me out we can keep protecting both dimensions until the others can return!" She looked at all of the Oracles in a row and sough their approval.

"Tsk… fine, I can't let my sister's Leanbox fall to ruin anyway." Chika looked away in annoyance and accepted Uzume's straightforward words.

"That is exactly what I intended to do anyway." Kei approved.

"I will do whatever I can. For all the children in Lowee." Mina smiled motherly.

"I am glad that everyone is back together for this." Histoire was truly moved by this gathering.

"You have held the line quite well Histoire." Kei praised the tome girl with a calm expression. She and Histoire had always been good friends. "You will be pleased to see the improvements I made during my travels as well." She added confidently.

"I wonder what Blanc and the twins are doing now?" Mina seemed to worry more about her former employers.

"Thief, usurper… tomboy. Not ladylike at all." Chika kept muttering insults(?) while glaring at Uzume's direction.

"Goodness! Everyone has returned!" The voice of Nepgear made all of them turn their heads towards the door. Planeptune's former CPU candidate had entered hesitantly. Now she pulled the door far open and looked at the group with amazement.

Trudging behind her was a severely more tired looking Uni. When she saw the gathered Oracles she almost jumped back in surprise.

"Gearsy, how were the kids treatin' ya?" Uzume grinned.

"They are all still very cute." Nepgear smiled back.

"And wild." Uni added while holding her head.

They had looked after the monster children outside the Basilicom with Umio for the entire morning. They seemed to have taken a liking to Uni.

"Uni." The silver-haired Oracle met her red eyes.

"Kei." She nodded back. The two of them walked over to the side to have a chat.

"You!" Chika suddenly pointed at Nepgear.

"Miss Chika?" Nepgear looked confused as she was suddenly dragged around by the arm and pulled into an adjacent room. So much for catching up with the group.

"Are they always like this?" The red-head cocked her head slightly.

"Chika is just unhappy about the situation." Mina explained diplomatically. Her red jacket swayed as she sat down on a chair close to the round table. She seemed to be a little exhausted after the long journey.

"Please don't feel bad about her remarks. She doesn't really mean anything by it." Histy agreed.

"She loves Vertsy a lot." Uzume said all of a sudden. She could tell just from their short interaction. "I'll have to work way harder to get approved by her then!" She was fired up instead of discouraged. "But why did she kidnap Gearsy?" Only that part made no sense to her.

"A talk from little sister to little sister." Mina said vaguely with a wry smile.

* * *

The training was going more or less smoothly as far as Histoire noticed. She didn't spend a lot of time with the rest or watching over the proceedings, because she was busy going through tons of data. It was irresponsible to think she could do this all by herself in a short time no less. The dimensional void was a tricky metaphysical place that resisted analyses fiercely.

Ever since she had received that call from Vert she was even more desperate to unveil all fluctuation she could find.

Just as she was about to take a short rest, a knock on the door made her freeze up. Vert had entered the Basilicom without Histy's notice. She was here to report her findings and discuss the situation.

Histoire would have preferred to have more time, but she honestly told Vert what she had found out. Nothing too unusual seemed to be going on in the void or the surrounding dimensions. The Share drain seemed to be the full extend of the current crisis.

Vert had seen through Histoire's exhaustion rather easily. Perhaps she was not well at hiding things in the first place, but it seemed that she was not looking good to an outsider.

"I can rest later…" She said to her mirror image. The platinum blonde girl on the other side looked frail and uncertain.

She couldn't fool herself. This was clearly something that couldn't be solved by just one person. She needed the help of someone with similar skills. But Croire was out of the question, she would never help them anyway.

Who else would be able to help and had the kindness in them to do it?

Histoire's eyes began to show a flow of numbers and then she connected to one such person.

"Yes, hello? This is Planeptune's Basilicom." A somewhat cuter voice that was still very similar to Histy's replied to the call. "Wait, I am not answering the phone! Σ(゜ロ゜;)"

"Hello to you as well. I am sorry for calling so suddenly." Histoire had contacted her Ultra dimension counterpart. Was she allowed to call herself cute? Because she thought that this smaller Histy was very cute.

"Not at all! I am glad to hear from you again. Is this about the closed off portal? ( ・◇・)？"

"Not directly. I already explained to you why we had to seal it off for now, but there is more." She explained what they had heard from Croire and how she could not sense anything on her own.

"I see. It would be easier to scan the area with two people." Mini-Histy was quick on the uptake. "You can count on me. I will use all my processing power on supporting your research." She was gung-ho about it apparently.

"That will not be necessary. I understand that you need to look after your nation as well." She didn't want to bother her counterpart too much.

"If the improved me says she needs help, then I cannot back down. I will assist you, however small my help may be. (⌒▽⌒)ゞ"

"Thank you." That was all Histoire could say to such a grandiose display of selflessness.

"Histyyyy ~ I am going ouuut." Suddenly Plutia's voice rang through the connection. She had appeared in the room that Ultra Histy was residing in right now.

"Eh?! Again? But what about your work?" Mini-Histy was visibly shocked by the situation.

"I will do it… tomorrow. Promiiiiise." Plutia said lazily.

"You said the same thing yesterday! You usually don't leave home so often… (; ･`д･´)"

"Eh? Reaaally?" Plutia cutely put a finger to her chin in thought.

"Yes! Where are you going?"

"Hmmmm. A date I think?" Plutia smiled groggily and went to exit the room while holding a special plushy that someone had given to her as a gift recently.

"…pardon?" Mini-Histy failed to stop her or react in time at all.

"…" Histoire had no idea how to break the awkward silence. The Ultra dimension also seemed to be going through weird times.

* * *

The same evening Histoire was moving through the illuminated observatory. The sky was dark and something akin to moonlight shone through the giant panorama windows. From this huge room she could watch the entire city easily. It was still covered in rubble and ruins for the most part, but there were improvements. Now that they hadn't to fear being attacked by Dark CPUs anymore the citizens could finally devote their time to rebuilding the nation.

This was also Uzume's contribution. She had never given up on this dimension. Histy understood why she wanted to protect it. When the Heart dimension collapsed this dimension was doomed to disappear as well. But through Uzume's revival it had persevered.

"Can you not sleep either?" Suddenly the smoothest voice she had ever heard caressed her ears. Histoire looked around in anticipation. There was nobody there. "Over here." Umio was floating above her.

"G-good evening…" That one caught her off-guard. The flying fish had a rather human face. He was also able to float like her and close to her size. Even for her experience this was bizarre.

"I have to thank you for a lot of things." The gentlefish lowered his head.

"That isn't necessary." Histy smiled towards the friendly gesture.

"She sometimes talks about old memories. They have been scattered and partly erased with Kurome's defeat. What we saw back then was only a glimpse of her past life. But she seems to especially remember you." He suddenly told her with a contemplative expression.

Hearing that made her heart happy and melancholic at the same time.

"A kind friend that cried for her until the last moments before her self-imposed exile." Umio's warm voice was tugging at her heartstrings.

"If I had found a better solution back then…"

"We always are harshest on ourselves. We replace realistic decisions with hindsight and blame ourselves for the outcome." The sentient fish said philosophically. "Uzume has always been rash since I met her. She often makes us worry for her safety and happiness. There were many times where I blamed myself for letting her rush into battle on her own to protect us. If it weren't for her we wouldn't even be here." He closed his eyes in reminiscence.

Histoire nodded in understanding.

"In the past she could move the world just with her imagination and fantasies. These times seem to be over."

"Her delusional powers have disappeared when Kurome died." The Oracle explained and looked outside the window again.

Umio opened his eyes and smiled faintly.

"Now she shapes the world with her hands instead, but I personally prefer it this way." He shook his fins appreciating the calm wind from the open window. "Now our world feels real and her achievements feel real as well. All the friends we made are giving us a sense of reality. The others agree with me on this, that we want Uzume to be happy no matter what." He floated next to Histy and looked at the same place as her. An old building under construction. A place that a giant laser beam had once ripped straight through. A history of battle engraved in the city.

"I wish the same."

"Then would you like to make a promise?" He held out his fin. "I lack the pinky for this ritual, but hopefully my intention is clear." He laughed kindly.

"Of course." Histy smiled back and put her hand on his outstretched fin.

"No matter what happens to this dimension or us…" He began. There was some hesitation for just a moment. "…please make sure that Uzume will make it through this alive."

Histoire's eyes widened.

"You knew about her condition…?" They had tried to keep it a secret as best as possible. That was Uzume's personal request after all.

"Uzume hides her pain by acting even more reckless. When we first met she was such a shy girl. A real crybaby. The only way she knew to toughen up was to pretend she was fine. In the end she became obsessed with being 'cool' and someone to look up to. Because only someone who is cool and tough wouldn't be afraid of this world." He spoke with lingering regret.

Histoire realized that she didn't know that much about Uzume. Even if her memories returned all at once right this instant, the girl from back then had already left. Orange Heart was closer to that original girl, but even she had become stronger.

No, Uzume had always been strong. Someone who willingly erased herself from existence to protect the world could not be called anything but strong. Back then she had just been afraid as well.

"I will do my best to make sure that Uzume will survive." She pressed the fin tightly. "And I will also make sure that she can keep smiling as well!" She added determinedly.

"Haha. It seems that all of her friends are strong too." Umio chuckled warmly.

 _(To be continued)_


	7. Episode 6: Chika

**Episode 6: Chika**

There was a person that Chika Hakozaki was obsessed with. Who was this person? That was a maiden's secret!

Okay, it was Vert.

This obsession had spiraled out of control many times before. One day it had reached the point where it bothered even the subject of her admiration. Chika had comprehended the truth after some harsh self-reflection. She was a bother to Vert. That was an objective truth. She was lacking as an Oracle and as a sister alike.

The three years where Vert was gone and imprisoned in the Gamindustri Graveyard were the worst of her entire life. Deprived of her everything and unable to keep Leanbox stable on her own, she had almost succumbed to despair. In those times where nobody seemed to have any solution, the CPU candidates stepped in to save their sisters. All Chika could do was watch from far away as they did what she had wished to do so many times before.

After Vert returned Chika had become even clingier than before those three years. She wanted to spend every second with her darling Vert. In the process she suffocated her with her presence. Vert was someone who could deal with loneliness well, but being constantly bothered was a different matter. And additionally she had to make up for Chika's uselessness during those three years…

To remedy this situation she had finally decided to take on a journey overseas. To improve her skills and knowledge as an Oracle. Finally she could become worthy of her big sister. That was her main reason.

Of course that decision had been incredibly painful to her. Being separated from Vert again, no matter how long or short, was like torture. Every step of the way she had regretted this path. But in the final moments before she had left the Basilicom for her journey, she had witnessed Vert's beautiful smile. She saw her off so hopefully and gently…

Chika had hardened her heart and set out on the new adventure in front of her. Vert had taught her to fight with the spear, so she was able to defend herself well enough. And after finding the ancient library in the desert and working for the council of a foreign nation she had obtained knowledge and skill, until she had improved herself to be the perfect Oracle.

When Histoire's SOS had reached her she was already on the ship sailing back to Leanbox. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

When she heard what had been happening to the continent while she was gone she had felt an urge to rush home. The news of Gold Third taking over and erasing everybody's memories… Chika had never once forgotten Vert. She was as integral to her existence as her heart and lungs. Then there was the nigh destruction of world by the hands of some ancient goddess called Kurome. She had only picked up the essentials in Vert's letters, but it was like they could never catch a break.

And now… The CPUs were turning human. The world was usurped by this new CPU, Uzume Ten-something. Histoire asked her to support this new goddess. It was ludicrous.

First of all she needed to check upon the one that mattered the most. The moment she set food on the shores of Gamindustri she already rushed towards that ever distant utopia!

* * *

Vert was sitting inside her room and contemplating something. She had just made a call to get information on the whereabouts of an elusive girl with a dimension hopping tome. This was harder than expected. As she leaned back on her chair to look out the window…

The sound of an entrance being smashed open shook her awake from her drowsy thoughts.

"MYYYYYYYYYYYY!" The yelling came from the first floor.

That voice!

"DARLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!" Second level.

Vert spun around on her swivel chair.

"VEEEEEEEEEEERT!" Chika crashed through the door.

The blonde ex-CPU stood up in surprise. It was really her. She had suddenly returned without any prior warning. Many emotions were rushing through her head, but all of them culminated in one big smile.

"Ah… aahhhh!" Chika's eyes teared up at the sight of her most beloved. She rushed over! Vert opened her arms to receive her in an embrace.

Chika tripped over the rug. Followed by her hitting her head against the windowsill and then falling over right out the window.

"Oh dear." Vert made a poker face as her self-declared little sister fell from the second floor.

Vert looked outside to see if she was alright, but Chika was already running back up the stairs.

"BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG!" Somehow she skipped the first floor entirely and catapulted herself through Vert's door.

"SIIIIIIIISTEEEEER!" This time she hit her target and embraced her.

She huffed and cried tears of joy to finally be reunited again as she buried her face in Vert's chest. Her green hair was covering her face and arms as she kept hugging Vert like an octopus would its prey.

Realization struck her as Vert was gently stroking her head and she barely managed to pull herself away with tear soaked eyes. She wiped her face with her black sleeve. She had to contain herself! Was all that training for nothing?!

"I'm… home." Chika said in happiness.

"Welcome back." Vert said with the same big smile that she had when Chika left. She had finally received her back. Overcoming the forlorn feeling without her had even taxed Vert's strong heart. But she also knew that Chika's frail heart had been so much more pained by the separation.

* * *

After their heartfelt reunion they settled down and started to discuss the current situation. After hearing what happened she was devastated. She had become an Oracle for Vert's sake, but now it seemed like she would never work with her again!

But that was also part of her journey. She had realized that she wanted to be someone people could rely on…. Even people other than Vert. She would definitely help Histoire and the others to keep Gamindustri afloat. That was her trial.

"My darling Vert… just what are you going to do now?" Chika asked with downcast eyes.

"For now I'm searching for answers. While I'm still in the good grace of my contacts I have used them to sniff out someone who could know more about the crisis than even Histoire." Vert was always collected. Even in the face of becoming human she had decided to stay rational. This is why Chika adored her as well!

"But… but what if you truly will stay human?" Chika leaned forward on the couch and looked up to Vert's deep blue eyes.

"Then I will finally be able to focus on my gaming." Vert said with a wry smile.

That wasn't what Chika wanted to hear. And that uncertain expression wasn't what she wanted to see. So even Vert had trouble to process this new future.

"What about money?" She rationalized the situation.

"What indeed. I suppose I might be able to win some at tournaments." The video-game kind of course. Vert was already infamous among the elite of the e-sports community. If she decided to do it full-time, she would be a top ranked contender for sure. "Although I prefer to take it easy." She added. What Vert considered an easy-going gaming session would be pure hell for most normal people though.

"You could sell some of your collection too." Chika cupped her chin and glanced at the storage room. An insanely packed hoard of treasures. With all the limited edition materials and signed games in there she could make a fortune just on online sales alone.

"Must I really?" Vert was not happy! She was like a child that had to sell one of her toys to buy a new one. Or perhaps she just had a compulsive hoarding syndrome. Either way that sad puppy look was Chika's kryptonite, so she immediately erased the option from her list.

This was a real pickle. Vert could do anything she set her mind to, but she didn't really have a mind for anything right now.

"For now I will rent a room at an inn from the money on my account. That should last at least a month of two." Vert said without much enthusiasm.

"Eh?" Chika's ears perked up. Then her mouth went agape. "You want to leave the Basilicom?!"

"Ah well… certainly. I do not have much right to stay here anymore. I would only get in the way of the staff as well-" Vert loosened her arms that had been stuck in a thoughtful pose and paid finally attention at the disturbed looking Chika.

"You can't leave!" The oracle jumped up and grabbed Vert's hands. "This is your home! _Our home_!"

"But…"

"If you leave, this place will turn into just another building! The Basilicom and Vert…. they are inseparable!" Chika's eyes were tearing up again. She couldn't allow this…. All the memories they had made here would fade away if Vert left…

"…" The blonde girl looked down at her old friend in puzzlement. Her hands clutching Vert's so desperately were shaking.

"I just… hic… please don't leave me behind." She had tried to overcome her selfishness, but if Vert wasn't waiting here, at this place they had lived together at for such a long time… then she felt like she couldn't return here ever again.

"I see." Vert unwound her right hand from Chika's fading grip and put it on her head once again. The petting was comforting. "If you allow me to stay here, Leanbox's Oracle, then I suppose that is all I can ask for. I will pay my rent on time, naturally."

"Thx Vertipalndmsng…!" Her sniffing and squirming made it hard to understand her anymore.

"Do you not have to go to the Zero dimension soon?" Vert was sitting on the couch, while letting Chika rest her exhausted head on her lap. It was fine to indulge her once or twice after such a long time.

"Just a little longer." She whispered with a relaxed expression. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying. She probably didn't want to meet the others looking like this.

They made some small talk as the hands of the clock turned. It was nice to have each other again. Eventually the conversation headed into uncomfortable territory, at least for Vert.

"You need to propose to someone!?" Chika was so excited that she raised her head in an instant, which made her forehead collide with Vert's chin.

After recovering from the pain for a few seconds…

"It seems that way. Not that I have any memory of agreeing to this bet." She was just a little displeased about it still.

Chika's eyes sparkled. Her breathing got ragged. This was a golden opportunity! Now that her darling sister had become human… now that she had nobody to worry about anymore…

"You can marry me! I don't mind switching from sister to wife!" She raised her hands high into the air.

"You know, I might have proposed to Nepgear." Vert said as if she hadn't heard Chika's words.

"!" Chika's smile froze in space-time.

"If only she wasn't already in a relationship with little Uni." Vert chuckled. "I fear that would have been unseemly for a big sister though. It is better this way or I might have crossed a frightening line." Clearly she was joking. Mostly. At least 80%.

Chika was currently floating through zero gravity behind some distant galaxies nebula.

Sister?

Nepgear?

Nepgear had become Vert's little sister?

Somehow that revelation hit her harder than anything before in her life. Even leaving Leanbox.

Trying to comprehend these words was like studying hieroglyphs of an ancient civilization, but there were only two letters of the entire alphabet available. It was like trying to solve a sealed room murder case with nothing but a magnifying glass and a pipe for smoking.

Had she been replaced? Had she become obsolete? Was Vert's heart already filled with that purple Mary Sue?! The harem monstrosity?!

She only took away… in that case Chika _needed_ to become something even more special than a sister.

She needed Vert to see her as a woman!

"Please, I am serious… I promise I will be a good wife!"

Vert finally returned Chika's desperate stares with an apologetic expression. Chika's heart sank to her stomach.

"You are a sweet girl Chika." She said slowly, but with certainty. "But the truth is that I cannot see you _that_ way. As a lover." She had to say it now or never. "To me you will always be like a little sister. And I love you dearly as a member of my family."

Chika was upset. Her eyes were turning moist again. Somewhere inside her there must have been an infinite reservoir of tears for Vert alone.

Yet she wasn't disillusioned.

She had known that much even before she left. Vert had always kept that certain distance. In her heart she knew that she never had a chance.

What really upset her was Vert's fate! She was the only one left out. Who would love her? Who would respect and comfort her? Who dared to love this great girl?

"Okay." She forced the word out of her sore throat. Affirmation of the facts. That was all she had for now.

* * *

After cleaning up her face a little and gathering her mental strength, Leanbox Oracle moved out to the Basilicom of the Zero dimension.

Her mind was a vortex of conflicting feelings, but outwardly she managed to be the definition of professionalism. At least until she met that new 'goddess'. The red-head with the face of a ruffian and the attitude of a tomboy. That was trying to replace her beautiful and divine Vert? Laughable.

She was somewhat happy to see the other Oracles again, but she could simply not feel any joy right now. Not in front of the usurper.

"Goodness! Everyone has returned!"

That voice! It send shivers of anger down the green haired Oracle's spine. Yes, this was the person she wanted to meet the most right now…

"You!" She growled at Nepgear with a deadly glare.

"Miss Chika?" Nepgear looked confused as she was suddenly dragged around by the arm and pulled into an adjacent room.

Right after they entered she closed the door… and locked it twice.

Nepgear gulped.

"Nepgear."

"Miss Chika?"

"How did you weasel yourself into my darling Vert's heart? What kind of blackmailing was involved?" Immediately she began with the accusations.

"Wha-?"

"I will take her place. So let her go already!" She lowered her head.

"Huh? B-but I didn't do anything like that…" Nepgear waved her arms around in denial.

"Your innocent act is not fooling me! I have been acting way longer than any of you fledgling little sisters. I can act sick so convincingly that I really do fall sick!" She took pride in the weirdest things.

"I swear that I didn't try to fool anyone." Nepgear put a hand to her heart. "Big sis… I mean Miss Vert is like a sister to me, so I told her my feelings. She agreed to my selfish request. That's all."

There was not a speck of dishonesty in her words. Chika was disgruntled by that purity. As always she couldn't get along with this girl.

But she had to accept the truth in front of her.

"Then tell me… if you hadn't become an item with Lastation's Candidate, would you have accepted Vert's proposal?" She had to know. The curiosity was eating her up inside. Even if it was pointless to know.

Nepgear took a while to reply to that inquiry. She was apparently giving it serious thought.

"I don't really know." She admitted. "I can't even imagine loving anyone that way except Uni anymore." Her face was slightly red.

'So this is how much love transforms people.' Chika thought to herself.

To be honest, she kind of saw herself and Vert in those two right now. An inseparable bond and longing… well that last part was all her. She had only ever loved Vert (no matter what kind of love it really was), so she couldn't imagine any other world either.

"Haaah… So there is nobody worthy or Vert and nobody Vert desires. At this rate she might be forced to propose to a rich suitor who can give her influence and power, who will die under mysterious circumstances just after the wedding bells rang for the last time, leaving my darling Vert alone with nothing but a giant fortune and authority." She sighed.

"Your imagination scares me sometimes Miss Chika…" Nepgear said with a twitching smile.

"You are off the hook for now. But I won't call you my sister just because Vert has acknowledged you as hers, understood?" She crossed her arms dismissively.

"U-understood." Nepgear agreed all too happily. Anything to get Chika's attention off of her.

"Why must I be busy with tutoring this tomboy goddess now of all times? Vert is clearly bothered by something. Even beyond losing her position and this accursed bet." She confided in Nepgear still for some reason. This must have been her way to acknowledge the purple sister as someone close to Vert.

"I noticed that too." Nepgear nodded. She was busy with all the changes in her life, but she had noticed Vert's troubled aura for a few weeks already.

"I am not up to date with all things quite yet. Did something happen before this bothersome disaster started?"

"Uhm. I noticed something, but I wasn't sure if it meant anything." Nepgear nodded.

"Out with it then." She urged her on.

"Miss Blanc and big sis have been avoiding each other for a while. They didn't seem to get along at the meeting either." She explained.

'Big sis' again. Chika had to suppress those jealous flames inside her chest for now.

"That isn't particularly unusual. My darling Vert doesn't get along with Lowee's CPU most of the time." She shrugged. It was common for them to have fights.

"I know. It's just that they usually make up fast." Nepgear tilted her head in concern. "IF also seemed to know something. She acted really weird."

"My my, I feel like some sort of Hyperdetective at this point. Fine, I will investigate this matter for Vert's sake. It's the least I can do." She posed coolly, clearly to impress upon Nepgear what a real sister looked like.

"Thank you Miss Chika. I was really worried about big sis. If you are taking care of it then I don't have to worry anymore."

This boundless faith was actually kind of pressuring in its own way…

 _(To be continued)_

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

"It's **Hi Five Radio Extra** time! With your hosts 5pb. aaaaaand~"

"Cave."

"And don't you forget it!"

 _Clapping._

"Thanks manager! I hope everyone has gotten used to the double hosting now, because we will go all out today!"

"Yay."

"You could sound a little happier at least!"

 _"Yay."_

"Today's Chirp comes from pen name: **Bow-Chika-bow-wow**. And they asked:"

 **[** I need someone to help me right now! How do I obtain the affection of my darling?! Just what kind of dirty schemes and trickery is required to capture a heart? Tell me or I will spam your mail folder! I am a lunatic, so don't think I am bluffing! **]**

"We once again have no question worth answering. Good night everyone."

"C'mon Cave. These are the concerns of an honest fan."

"I can assure you that this is neither a fan nor someone honest."

"You have to put your bodyguard mindset on stand-by sometimes and just see the people for what they are."

"I fear the real person behind this is even more desperate than the fake persona they created."

"A-n-y-w-a-y. This listener needs our help in capturing the heart of their true love. This isn't something we can take lightly. If you want to express your feelings then I think the best way is through the power of music! Write a song filled with all your favorite things about that person and release it with the power of **Rock 'n' Roll**. If a song can conquer the world, then you can conquer a heart!"

"As expected of 5pb. But most people are not talented lyricists. Your suggestion is very similar to another tool for displaying affections though."

"Are we talking about love letters again?"

"Yes, that was what I was thinking- _again_?"

 _Creaking sound._

"Ehm… yes. I talked to Miss Manager about this before. She said I don't need to answer every love letter sent to me. Can you believe that? They were all pouring out their hearts, how could I just ignore them so coldly… that is just sad."

"You… receive those regularly?"

"You look so stiff all of a sudden? Yes, I get some during signing events and backstage during concerts. They are all very sweet. Even if I think they are sometimes just moved by a song and confused their love for music with love for… m-me."

 _Fidgeting sounds._

"I failed you."

"Ehhh? Why are you apologizing?!"

"It is kind of you to reply to them. Just as expected of 5pb."

"That doesn't really answer-"

"I need to take care of something. If you would please excuse me."

"In the middle of the show? F-fine, if Cave says it's important then it must be really important."

 _A few concerned seconds of silence._

"I wonder what she is doing…. Alright, if I can't stop thinking about it, then I might as well go too. Thanks for listening and tune in next time everyone! 5pb., plugging out~"

 _Fwoop._


	8. Episode 7: Nepgear

**Patience is a virtue. At least I was told so when I ate my pudding before lunch. Madness.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 7: Nepgear**

Nepgear was a girl with near unending compassion. She was often put into tough spots and made some wrong choices, but in the end she always tried to be there for her friends and loved ones. Despite becoming human she didn't feel a strong sense of loss whatsoever. She was more concerned for the wellbeing of everyone else. For the longest time she had been weak and stood in the shadow of her older sister, but since then she had learned a lot.

Neptune was someone who would always come through somehow. She had many wonderful friends to support her in these hard times and Nepgear had full trust in that fact. And now there was also Miss Noire, her girlfriend. That's why, even if she had some inner reservations, in her mind she would rather help the person who seemed to be in a much worse situation. Uzume.

She had already thought to have lost her once. She had witnessed how Uzume would give her own life for them and others. She saw all of this first hand and never quite felt like she had repaid those sacrifices yet.

"I will help you with everything I have." She would make good on that promise.

Uzume was not alone either, but she could need that extra hand to pull her up when she fell. Nepgear just knew it.

"Are you sure you want to come along?" She asked the girl next to her. The person who was just as badly lost as the others. Someone who was leaning on her for support as well.

"I want to go with you…" Uni replied with an absentminded look while holding Nepgear's hand hesitantly.

Nepgear felt a surge of happiness when she heard those words. Even if she should be worried about serious matters, she felt that Uni was too cute!

* * *

They were en route to the Zero dimension's Basilicom where they would stay for some time. Uni had stayed with Nepgear ever since the meeting. She even let Miss Noire leave on her own. Maybe she believed in her sister just as much as Nepgear did.

"Nepgear I…" Uni said something quietly.

If she paid more attention she might have realized that Uni's grip was more desperate than tender.

"Gearsy, Unisy! So you're here already." Uzume waved from the entrance of the Basilicom with a wide grin. "Very cool, huh?" She pointed at the ridiculously huge building.

"It's really tall! Who built this?" Nepgear was fascinated actually.

"The others did it as a surprise for me. They're always going overboard haha!"

'How do you keep that thing a secret?' Nepgear wondered with a sweat drop running across her temple.

"Isn't this amazing Uni?" She turned to her girlfriend excitedly, but the twintailed girl didn't seem to be interested. She just kinda averted her gaze and looked at the rubble of the remaining city.

"Umio already told me what room you're gonna get. It's pretty sweet." Uzume winked and waved them to follow her.

"W-we are going to stay in the same room, huh?" Nepgear inquired in what she considered a casual tone, even though her hand was clearly shaking. Uni definitely noticed.

"Yeah? I could get you somethin' separate if ya want, but I thought you liked to stay together." Uzume didn't have any ulterior motives, that much was certain. It was impressive how little she could read the mood.

"I-I'm fine with it, if Uni is." She fidgeted around and glanced at her girlfriend.

Uni just nodded.

Strange. Nepgear had expected her to be even more nervous than herself.

"Alrighty. This is it. You can totally see my house from here." Uzume threw open the door and rushed to the window to enjoy the view.

"Isn't _this_ your house now?"

"Ah. You're right." Uzume was struck by realization.

'Did she consider that secret hideout her house until now?' Nepgear smiled silently.

"Heeeeey Uzume! Come play with uuuuus!" From far down below they could hear the yells of kids. The monster kids to be exact. They were looking up from the ground floor and calling out to them at the window. Just how good were their eyes to have spotted Uzume from there?

"I'll be there in a second!" Uzume gave them a thumbs up and climbed over the window frame.

"Eh? Are you going to jump?!" Nepgear's mouth turned square shaped.

"Fastest way down!" Uzume was about to take the leap, when suddenly a stern voice surprised her.

"Uzume, please use the stairs like everyone else." Histoire had floated in from the hallway.

"G-got it." Uzume nodded. She was rather submissive to the small girl.

"And we are meeting up with the other Oracles soon, so you don't have time to play now. Please prepare yourself and clean up." She looked at Uzume's dirt covered shirt and her loosely put on socks.

'Histy is just like a mother.' Nepgear chuckled to herself.

"….k." Now Uzume looked much less cooperative. She put a hand to the back of her head and sighed.

Histoire's heart wasn't made of stone either. She didn't feel good about leaving it like this.

"Perhaps you could look after the children Nepgear?" She turned to the former CPU candidate expectantly.

"Sure." Nepgear nodded. That would also give them something to do while waiting. "Do you want to come Uni?"

"Huh? I… I don't really feel like…" Uni wasn't reacting coherently.

"You're good with kids too Unisy? I'm so glad you came over now." Uzume grinned.

"…o-of course I am good with kids. Like I would ever have trouble with something like that." Uni suddenly straightened her back and flicked her hair to the side arrogantly. Nepgear could barely suppress her giggling when seeing this classic reaction.

* * *

Down in the still slightly restored streets the two girls were greeted by what one could only describe as a legion of monsters. Or in other words, _kids_.

"Gearsy, Gearsy, it's been so long~" One particular one was extremely excited to see her again.

"Oh hi uhm…" She didn't remember its name. All she could think of was Uzume's joke(?) about her being a emergency ration.

"Shrimp. And these are my friends Dumpling, Bean and Fries." The orange bug kid was smiling while introducing its siblings.

"Gosh…." Nepgear sighed over those naming conventions.

"Thank you for taking the time to play with them." The smooth voice of the daddy fish serenaded their ears. It was Umio.

"It's fun for us too." Nepgear smiled and then kneeled down. "What do you want to do today?"

"I want to throw rubble at the street signs!"

"No, I wanna hit the bridge's steel beams!"

"I w-w-w-would like to… break the windows of the s-s-s-skyscraper."

All those suggestions were unexpectedly violent! Then again, these kids grew up in ruins. They had no knowledge of the terms 'public property' or 'constraint'. There wasn't much else to do than throwing things at other things…

"Alright. Take a few rocks and hit the targets I prepared on top of the bridge." Umio said calmly.

"You already prepared for this?!" Nepgear retorted in surprise.

Over at the intersection was a fallen in bridge that once led out of the city. It was part of a highway that now led nowhere. The broken part of the bridge had risen upwards and was almost impossible to climb. And on the top of the upper edge were a few badly constructed mannequins. They were wearing potato sacks with targets drawn onto them.

"I guess he flew up there." Nepgear surmised. It must be nice to be able to float. "Wait, isn't that waaay too high...?" She only now realized how impossible it would be to hit stuff up there!

"I can do it!" One of the kids grabbed a rock with its mouth. Then it spun in circles like a top. The momentum got stronger each second and turned it into a blur.

It wasn't stopping.

"Er… are you okay?"

"Cwant shtoooooop!" The kid squealed with spinning eyes.

"Hiyah!" Two of the others jumped on top of it to stop the spin, but instead they were drawn into the vortex!

"Woah woah woah! Shrimp is turning into a tornado!" The other kids laughed and joined in.

"This is growing out of control." Umio said like the good uninvolved bystander he was.

"Goodness." Nepgear gulped. This storm of carnage and destruction would be unleashed upon the world eventually if she didn't stop it. "H-here goes nothing…!" She jumped into the mountain of kids and held on to Shrimp's tiny feet.

"KYAAAH! It tickleeeees!" The kid giggled from being ticklish and the storm collapsed into itself, burying Nepgear below dozens of monsters.

The rock was sent flying across the distance and then hit one of the mannequin's heads clean off. It wasn't slowing down as it blinked into the dimensional stratophere…

"Zero points." Umio announced unwaveringly.

"Aww…" The kids looked disappointed. Nepgear was buried below them with spinning eyes.

"Pffft…" Uni snorted for a moment, which made all of their attention go to her. She hastily tried to look uninterested, but she was already caught.

"You laughed." Nepgear said and turned her head towards Uni slowly.

"I didn't." Uni replied nervously.

"You totally did." The kids took Gear's side.

"You really laughed." Nepgear repeated and then she jumped up, causing a rain of bug kids. "That's wonderful!" She was _overjoyed_. Until now Uni had been so quiet and introverted, so this was the first sign of happiness.

"…" Uni blushed slightly.

"So you like this game." Nepgear concluded. Wrongly. "Listen everyone, Uni is a really good shot. She can hit those target without a sweat." She put a hand on Uni's shoulder and praised her in front of the kids.

"Eh? No I…" Uni was taken aback.

"Wowie! I wanna see. Let us see that super awesome aim!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"C-can't be helped then." Uni acted more self-confident than she felt. "But not with a rock." She added. Considering that height a normal human could never reach that place with a throw alone.

"Did you bring your rifle?" Nepgear suggested.

"Mhm." Uni nodded and picked the sniper-rifle from her inventory. It was quite huge and she almost fell over after picking it up. She had clearly underestimated the difference in strength to before turning human.

Nepgear was worried to see her struggle like this. It drove home how big a change actually transpired while they were busy with their new life. Maybe she had been insensitive. Uni was prideful and wouldn't admit if she couldn't handle something…

The raven haired girl stopped shaking and set the rifle down. Then she pushed a rock under it for support and laid flat on her stomach. This was the sniping pose!

She put her eye to the scope and carefully adjusted her aim. Watching her precise movements had everyone hold their breath in anticipation. Somehow Uni looked much calmer than before. In the moments before a shot the shooter's heart rate went down and they became one with the gun. She was breathing in once and kept it inside. Then as she breathed out she pulled the trigger.

Then she pulled it twice again.

 _Bang bang bang!_

In a moment three holes were put into three mannequin targets. All of them in center of the red dot.

"300 points." Umio declared impressed.

At first none of them had realized, but then the kids started cheering and all jumped on Uni.

"That was super-duper amazing!"

"Brutal!"

"Deadeye super-girl!"

"Big sis, do it again!"

"W-wait, get off of me…!" Uni was showered by the kids' adoration and soon covered completely, even fiercer than Nepgear before.

It was a funny sight, but Nepgear didn't laugh at her. Instead she was looking at her girlfriend with pride. Not necessarily because she had surpassed everyone's expectations, but because she was kind. In this situation it was hard to be friendly and open-minded. Uni hadn't shown much drive since she found out about her impending weakness. But even so she tried to prove herself and give everyone what they wanted.

"Golly, I want to join in too!" She finally declared and jumped on top of Uni alongside the others.

"N-Nepgear you too? Whyyyy?!" Uni's eyes turned white as she was cuddled by the purple haired girl inside the mountain of overeager children.

Umio watched them with barely contained amusement.

* * *

After the tussle they went back up the Basilicom to see how things were going. To their surprise the Oracles had already arrived. Nepgear felt nostalgic just seeing the four of them gathered in one room. They still looked and sounded the same, but she felt that they were giving off a different aura. With Histoire she had already expected it, but the others were also looking so reliable.

Before she could even find her footing in the room she had already been dragged out of it though. Miss Chika was intending on questioning her. Nepgear could tell that she was still as obsessed with Vert as always. But there was more to it than that. The green haired girl was acting crazy, but she didn't actually seem unreasonable in her own way.

Nepgear was glad that someone was so concerned for Vert. If she had the time she would certainly have looked after her big sis as well. But knowing that Miss Chika was there for her was somehow infinitely relieving.

After that they left the locked room (that part was a little scary though) and joined the rest for the discussion of their plans.

"We will have one of us tutor Uzume every day. The rest will take care of the nations during that time. Nepgear and Uni, you two can act however you want. Whether you want to help take care of the paperwork or join Uzume in her lessons. It is up to you." Histoire explained the ground rules.

"Then I will stay with Uzume." Nepgear decided on the spot.

"I will do whatever is necessary." Uni said much calmer than before. She crossed her arms and made herself look rather mature. Gear could barely tear her eyes off her cool friend.

"I will take care of the first lesson then." Kei bowed in front of them. All classy as usual.

"I am worried about the piles of paperwork…" Chika looked gloomy. She had failed to do her share of work back when Vert was gone, so this seemed to be a sore spot for her. Her priority was on proving herself in that area.

"I want to visit Lowee first to see how everyone is doing." Mina sure was worried for the people.

"Then I will return to my investigation of the void. If anything happens please let me know first." Histoire was serious. She wanted to take on all their troubles at once.

Nepgear and Uni nodded to each other in understanding. They would try to relieve everyone's burden as much as they could.

"Then I take care of Lastation's work share while Kei is busy." Uni looked towards the silver-haired Oracle.

"Much appreciated." In the past Kei might have had her doubts, but now she took Uni's helping hand without question.

Things were now _really_ starting for them.

* * *

The first day was over in a flash. Nepgear hadn't even perceived it as that long, but Kei's lessons were rather detailed.

"Ugh… my head hurts." Uzume held said head in both her hands.

"You did well!" She said encouragingly with both her fists in front of her chest.

"Kei didn't show any mercy though." The redhead tilted her head in exhaustion and slowly let her soul escape through her mouth.

"I'm sure she is like this to everyone."

"That's even scarier." Uzume squinted her eyes.

"We should eat some dinner to recover our energy then. I really want to try out the kitchen here." Nepgear suggested cheerfully.

"One of Gearsy's meals…!" Uzume was salivating in expectation. There couldn't have been any words more endearing to her right now.

"I will just get my recipe book and you can choose whatever you want." Seeing how much the thought cheered her friend up Nepgear immediately went on the offensive.

"Oh, uhm I'd love to, but…" But all of a sudden Uzume was backing away. "I actually promised Umio to go eat something… with him. Yep." She was acting weird. Not only was her voice completely uncertain, she was also sweating a lot. Did Nepgear imagine that short twitch where she clutched her arm?

"We could all eat together. I am confident in cooking for a group too." Nepgear insisted.

"Come to think of it." Uzume remembered their time fighting Dark Purple and camping outside. Back then Nepgear had even managed to keep everyone's preferences in mind (although she tried to talk them into eating their least favorite stuff too). "Ahhh, but I really can't. We wanted to go… somewhere… far away." She stumbled around and then turned to the staircase. "Really sorry about that, see ya tomorrow!" And she ran off!

"Gosh, she doesn't need to rush so much." Nepgear looked down the stairs with her head tilted to the side. Somehow Uzume had been acting really fishy. Almost strained actually. Like she was barely holding something in. "Did she need to go to the bathroom?!"

Now Nepgear felt bad for keeping her so long!

Not knowing what else she could do, the purple haired girl walked across the Basilicom and back to her room. _Their_ room. Uni hadn't returned yet. There were two beds for them, strictly put into opposite corners of the room. Some of their stuff from home had already been transferred over. Nepgear was happy to see her tinker box had made it already. It was nice to have something to work on in her off time.

Maybe she would just wait for Uni while building something.

* * *

Uni didn't return even after midnight. It was quiet in the Basilicom. The small lamp Nepgear had kept on while screwing and sawing and connecting her parts was tingeing the room in a yellow glow.

"Haaah… so sleepy." She mumbled while rubbing her eyes. Today was a long day and she couldn't stay awake much longer. She had even forgotten to eat dinner during the tinkering.

The two things on her mind right now were Uzume's troubled expression from before and the fact that Uni wasn't returning.

The latter was probably work related. Every nation had their own section in this Basilicom. Nepgear could theoretically just go to Lastation's floor and pick Uni up.

Like a mother taking her kid home from practice?

…or perhaps like a wife picking up her significant other from work?

"Ehehe~" Nepgear squirmed on her chair happily. What was she thinking so late at night? Uni would probably have admonished her if she said those things around her.

Somehow she only noticed how much she wanted to be around Uni when she wasn't there…

Well there was always the next day. For now she would go to sleep. Rest was important to keep going tomorrow!

* * *

And without warning, an entire week passed. Things were advancing slowly, but time passed fast. Every day Uzume struggled through her lessons and obligations, with Nepgear at her side most of the time.

But whenever she wanted to spend time with her, the only remaining CPU was suddenly busy. Her excuses became more and more confusing. But Nepgear didn't see a reason to question her. The only thing that kept worrying her was when Uzume got up later every day. She had already been scolded by the Oracles several times.

Maybe a tight schedule was just not her style? The world had become peaceful and in turn Uzume had also stopped being on edge all the time. The days of running away every day and only sleeping when the attacks of the giant Dark CPUs stopped were over. Even though Uzume had to learn fast to become the leader of Gamindustri, Nepgear felt they should cut her some slack. She deserved some peace and rest.

Uni on the other hand was hanging around Nepgear more than ever before. After that one night where they were separated she almost didn't want to leave her out of her sights, except during lessons. And even then she accompanied them on missions and extraneous tasks.

Yet she didn't feel like Uni was happy. She was around, but she barely showed any drive to be close to Nepgear. And whenever Nepgear approached her she was acting grumpy. It was quite problematic.

Atop all of that Histoire had collapsed once during her routine scans. She was exhausting herself too much.

In the middle of it all was Nepgear trying to hold the seams together. Some of these days she wished her sisters were around to help…

No. She slapped herself to regain focus. What was that wishy-washy thought? Wavering after only one week? After so little? It wasn't like Nepgear was facing any hard opposition. The ones who were having a hard time were Uzume and the others.

* * *

During another tranquil night she woke up unexpectedly. Usually she fell right asleep and awoke rested in the morning. These beds were almost scarily comfortable.

She wiped some drool from her mouth and blinked a few times in the 'moonlight'. The window was open to let in some mild air. She was adjusting her pink pajamas with hazy eyes. Everything was normal, so why did she feel uneasy?

"….mhg… don't… leave…"

Her ears perked up. Those words came from the direction of Uni's bed.

"….don't leave me… alone…"

She was twisting and turning in her sleep. Her voice was so vulnerable and scared.

This was the first time Nepgear had heard Uni talking in her sleep. They had so many sleepovers before, but the serious girl had never once done that. Much less with such a distressed voice.

With a pained heart she got up from her bed and walked towards Uni's. Her bare feet were touching the flat rug on the way and made her feel the realness of the room. This wasn't a dream.

Seeing the shivering shoulders of her girlfriend, Nepgear set down on the bed and put a hand on her head. She lovingly stroked the loose black hair out of the contorted face.

"…Nepgear…" She murmured uneasily, still deep in slumber.

"I'm right here." She said warmly. As her fingers touched Uni's face she seemed to slightly relax.

"…sor…ry… I'm… sorry…" She repeated over and over.

"There is nothing you need to be sorry for." Nepgear closed her eyes and then lied down next to her on the bed. Then she slung her arms around Uni's waist and embraced her from behind. All she could do right now was to comfort her with her presence.

Uni's haunted face straightened out and became calm. Nepgear could feel her heartbeat through her back. It slowed down and returned to normal. Their breathing was in sync.

This poor girl had been keeping it in the entire time. Whatever troubled her, whatever frightened her, she wouldn't share it. Her pride and consideration were just that deep. Once she had lost all those defenses and revealed her self-loathing to Nepgear. Back then she had almost thought that they would lose their friendship….

But now she would not let that happen again. She had promised, right? That she would love her even if she hated herself. People couldn't just change in a day. Uni was still as complex as before. To make her truly change, Nepgear needed to be there for her.

"I'm sorry." Now she apologized to Uni instead. In the last week she had been paying attention mostly to Uzume. Even though Uni needed just as much support.

As she leaned her chin on top the heaving and lowering shoulder of her girlfriend she slowly drifted off to sleep. Uni's smell was calming her down as well. Perhaps they both had been in need of some comfort…

* * *

"Geh!" Uni was frozen stiff. Somehow while she had been sleeping something crazy had happened. Either she had moved during her sleep or some weird phenomenon had warped Nepgear across the room, but right now they were sleeping in the same bed! How could this happen?!

"Mhhm…. Soft…" Nepgear mumbled into her ear as she very directly copped a feel below Uni's pajamas.

"…." Uni's mind turned blank.

What? Huh? Seriously?

Her face was going through all the shades of red.

"…small…" Nepgear whispered while snoring.

"…! _Sorry_ for being small then!" She yelled and threw the blanket into the air.

"W—wha-? Is it time for breakfast again!?" Nepgear's eyes flew open as she unceremoniously landed on the floor. "Lemme… just get the frying pan." She was still half-asleep.

Uni closed her half-opened pajamas and made a disgruntled expression, even if her ears were betraying her with their redness.

"G'morning hwaaah…" Gear rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Morning…" She answered as if she hadn't just awoken spooning with that clueless sleepyhead.

"Huh? How did I get on the floor?" _Now_ her perception returned. "I went to bed and then… and then I woke up."

"That's how sleeping works." Uni grumbled.

"Do you want breakfast Uni? We haven't eaten together in a while." Nepgear was already in cheerful housewife mode. Clearly nothing could ever bring her down.

"I will help." She muttered. For the first time in a while she felt rested. There had been no bad dreams either. Despite that shock of her lifetime, she felt much more balanced than usual.

"Hm… my pajamas smell like Uni." Nepgear noticed curiously.

"I DON'T SMELL!"

She couldn't forgive her after all!

 _(To be continued)_

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

"…you didn't have to tear it apart in front of his face."

"This was the most effective way to answer the contents."

"You are being a bully Cave."

"You cannot bully the masses."

"You did this to more than just one person?!"

"No comment."

 _Noise of throat clearing._

"Ah! We are live Miss Manager?! W-welcome back to **Hi Five Radio Extra**! With your hosts 5pb. and Cave. I want to publicly apologize for the uh… incidents at yesterday's concert."

 _Depressed sighing._

"Letters of unknown intent have to go through security first. It is a common practice."

"Usually security doesn't tear them apart in front of the writer though."

"Approaches might vary."

"Why are you so mean only to the people who write love letters? Do you hate romance Cave?"

"I also burn threatening letters."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"For the sake of the show…. Let's pick it up a few notches. Here comes another Chirp! This time _I_ selected it myself. It's my show teehee~"

 _Humming._

"Today's question comes in from pen name: **Nepgear.** Ehhh? Do you think it's really Miss Nepgear?"

"Fake accounts are common on the internet. There was this famous imitator calling herself 'Nepugia'. A dangerous individual that has trolled many a man into despair."

"When you say it like that it feels like a crime… Uhm… the question is:"

[Hello 5pb. and Cave! I listen to your show every day before going to sleep. You are doing wonderfully.]

"It's nice to hear someone comment about the show for once."

"Thank you Nepgear!"

[I have just a tiny question about something that is troubling me personally. What kind of dish would you cook to cheer someone up? Thank you so much for always answering everyone's questions!]

"You are reaaaally welcome! And this is such a refreshing question too. Hm… a good dish to cheer someone up? Do you have any idea Cave?"

"I assumed you would jump on this one like usual."

"Er… about that… it's really embarrassing, but I'm actually not very good at cooking. I always forget to eat while writing new songs too haha."

"That is unacceptable."

 _Cluttering sounds._

"Wow! You brought all this?"

"I… happen to be a big eater."

"Really? I never could have told from outside! You have such a great figure."

"Please do not tease me…"

"So what's that?"

"A few dishes I prepared this morning. My cooking skills are adequate. It is a necessity for someone who lives on their own."

"Sorry for being a failure…"

"You should live freely as you wish. But in turn I will make sure you get a nutritional balance every day from now on. Now eat."

"I see. That sounds goo- wait what?! Like, right now?"

"A dish that cheers up? I would suggest something warm and filling first that is also easy to digest. Open wide."

"Ehhh?! Being fed is really embarrassing-mmmph!"

 _Sound of forced chewing._

"And as a dessert something sweet with a hint of sourness. Swallow."

"Hnnngh….!?"

"I believe you have the natural talent to pick the correct dish Miss Nepgear. I am certain your friends will appreciate it."

 _Exhalation.  
_

"W-wow… it tasted really good… b-but it went by way too fast…"

"A good meal can make time fly. It seems the show is already over. 5pb. is plugging out."

"Can I have seconds?"

 _Fwoop._


	9. Episode 8: Uni

**Running out of steam? Don't be silly! [coughs ketchup blood]  
**

* * *

 **Episode 8: Uni**

This was the worst. The absolute most horrid thing that could have happened short of them all dying. Uni had always been insecure about her lack of talent compared to others. She had always felt an inner drive to improve for the sake of now being left behind or seen as useless. Even though Noire had recently tried her best to put them on eye level, she still felt like the always lacking little sister. That wasn't Noire's fault, but rather her own.

The prospect of turning human and losing her purpose in life was terrifying. More than anything else.

How could Noire take it? How could she just keep going like that? Uni had seen her struggle, had watched her hesitate and show regret, but somehow she didn't stop. At first she had arrogantly assumed it was for her sake. To keep up a strong front to make Uni feel better. To support them both. But that was not the core of the matter. Noire could do that without even a struggle. Uni already knew that she had prepared for any eventuality… yes, she would provide for her without question.

What gave Noire strength? Most of it was just she herself. A strong person from the very core. Adding to that though was someone else. A pillar that had only been added about a year ago. The love for another. The relationship with Miss Neptune.

Noire was far from unperturbed as well. Uni could tell she was struggling to stay completely positive. Leaving her alone at this important time would be horrible…

But…

Uni had also gained a new pillar to lean on. Noire had so much pressure on her structure already, so Uni could not and did not want to add more weight to it. If she could just make sure that her sister didn't worry about her that would be a victory in itself.

Or was that even it? Did she not actually _want_ to go to Nepgear? Admitting it was still incredibly hard even now. They had become lovers only so recently. In fact it didn't really sink in quite yet. They mostly acted like they usually did. But on that warm and quiet night Nepgear had told her that she would accept everything about Uni and let her lean on her…

Her heart tightened at the memory. This was selfishness, no doubt. But it was also… love. And she wanted to be with her. That was what the selfish her dreamt of.

Her decision was made, albeit shakingly. She chose to stay with Nepgear.

After her phone call to Noire she felt a little relieved. Her sister approved of it! And she really wanted to keep in contact with her too. Then there was the 'mission' given to her. To support Uzume as Lastation's representative. It was… The last part made her…

Even her thoughts fell silent. Something was just not right.

Now that she and Nepgear walked alongside the same road towards the Zero Basilicom she felt her resolve weakening. This act she had given towards the outside was exhausting. This ever cool and collected her was a fading mirage. Keeping it up took all she had.

She was afraid of so many things right now. And every step they took made her feel more anxious. Their hands were locked together as they walked, but Uni's was shivering. Nepgear didn't seem to have noticed.

Her kind and compassionate girlfriend was looking ahead at the Basilicom and the future without doubts. A sight that made her heart pound and give her strength. If it was with Nepgear… she might be able to go on.

These feelings were overwhelming. She felt it surge through her chest and body. Just this once she wanted to be honest. She wanted to show her inner self and be accepted again. Maybe she was just trying to suppress her fear by doing this, but now lips moved on their own.

"Nepgear I…" She turned towards the purple haired girl and gripped her hand more tightly. For a moment Nepgear was turning her eyes towards her…

"Gearsy, Unisy! So you're here already."

And immediately Nepgear's head snapped towards the third girl coming for them.

"…love you." Uni whispered with a downcast expression as their hands loosened and Nepgear ran over to Uzume with a smile. She clearly hadn't heard her.

Uni grit her teeth. Letting it out like this, what was she thinking? Dragging Nepgear into her sentimentality at this time? She scolded her heart and followed the two towards their new task.

Yes, she just needed to stay calm and not act weird. Just focus on what was ahead…

* * *

Things went by in a blur. She remembered being dragged to a room that was apparently theirs now and then being forced to look after some monster kids. Despite her reluctance she felt a little happy being depended on.

Those little beasts were way too crazy for her tastes though. She was completely exhausted after finally escaping their clutches.

Because of that she was almost happy to be dragged into a meeting. Work was something she could understand and deal with. But when Nepgear opened the door and revealed all the Oracles gathered in one place Uni almost tripped.

Her eyes met with Kei's almost instantly. That always serous and elegant Kei was still looking professional. If there was a hint of happiness to meet again she sure was hiding it well. Uni walked towards her and nodded.

"Uni."

"Kei."

Somehow they were brought back two years when they still worked together every day. This oppressive aura was actually something she had missed a lot. No matter what, Kei was always looking at everyone equally. Uni appreciated that about her.

"You changed your hair." Uni noticed as she looked at the short ponytail.

"It was custom to wear it like this where I worked for the last year." She explained objectively.

So not just an image change. Uni shouldn't have expected such a childish reason, huh?

"It seems you have kept your looks as before." To Uni's surprise Kei did actually continue the small talk!

"Uhm… yeah. I like my hair this way. But I did buy a few new outfits." She replied.

"I see." And as fast as it came, it already ended. Kei was really not good at making small talk at all. But even the attempt counted for something! The silver-haired girl didn't attempt to steer the conversation towards work either. It was increasingly obvious that she tried to be considerate.

"You have to tell me about your travels some time." Uni finally lost the tension in her shoulders. There was no time to feel bad for herself when Kei was acting this stiff.

"I doubt they will be of much interest to anyone, but I will gladly expand on them in the future." Kei nodded.

"I honestly thought you would ask me about my progress the second I came in here, but I guess that's over now…haha." Uni had moved herself into a corner by accident and tried to laugh it off.

"Did you not come here to work for Lastation's future?" Kei asked calmly and put a hand on her waist. The black suit was perfect for this pose.

"I did!" Uni hastily retorted. "Mostly…"

"Then I think there is still merit in measuring your improvements." Kei said with a sharp smile. "I have also invested quite a bit of effort into self-improvement. Let us guide this fledgling CPU to become a ruler worthy of Lastation."

"Yes!" Uni agreed strongly. As long as she had a task in front of her, then her legs would still carry her onward.

"Haha." Kei actually chuckled after seeing her psyched reaction.

"W-what's so funny?" Uni asked with a pout.

"I confess that I missed this." She admitted with a hand in front of her upturned lips. "It appears that you are still the same. In a good way." She closed her eyes in thought. "I have kept correspondence with Noire as much as was possible and many occurrences here have worried me. The world was in serious danger not just once, but twice since I left. I even… forgot about Noire for a while." Now Kei's smooth features displayed regret.

"That was just because the world was rewritten by Kurome!" Uni objected to Kei's guilt.

"That was the case indeed. But are you aware? Out of all the Oracles I was the only one who was affected by it." She looked slightly depressed. "Mina and Chika had never stopped remembering their CPUs. And Histoire is a given with her position. It… irks me." She admitted.

Uni had not known that. So the others had not been affected by the memory manipulation? She could kind of see why Chika was resistant. Her obsession was the biggest part of her life. It was impossible to erase Vert from the equation. But even Mina had never forgotten?

Uni realized that Kei must have felt coldhearted and dismissive now. As if she was the only one who did not actually care for anyone. She glared at the former Oracle.

"Don't act like you are special."

"Pardon?" Kei was taken out of her inner reverie.

"Everyone was affected by it! All our friends forgot about us. It wasn't just you. We had to work really hard to make them remember. You are not special at all. The others who didn't forget are the weird ones!" She declared. It really upset her to see Kei blame herself!

"My… there is no reason to affront them over this matter." Kei calmed Uni down. She apparently realized what kind of impression she had given. "I pledge to never forget about you two again. Even if the entire world does." She put a hand to her chest and swore. "Not as CPUs, but as my… close acquaintances."

'She still can't say friends, eh?' Uni dryly thought to herself. Kei was more awkward than she appeared. Like Uni was one to talk tho…

"Yes, a lot has changed in the time I was gone, but the thing that confounded me the most was." Kei rubbed her left temple with one finger. "Noire's… decisions." She put it diplomatically.

Decisions? Kei was not the type to criticize Noire's political and economical moves. She had always held Uni up to her sister's standards actually. Then what other decision was there that could be seen in a negative light?

Tik tok tik tok…

Uni blushed.

"It is not my concern who she declares her… affections to." Kei sighed. "But she could not have made a much more controversial choice, hm?"

That was probably accurate. The only way to stir up more of a controversy was if Noire started a relationship with a villain or something. Of course Kei did not appreciate that decision! Uni should have expected as much.

"The balance of the nations was in danger for a while." The silver-haired girl shook her head. "It was almost like a fusion between Planeptune and Lastation was inevitable. I can't imagine how you must have felt about it."

How she felt about it? That's right… Kei didn't know.

"Y-yeah that would have been weird. But big sis never intended to go that far." Uni gulped.

"Thank goddess. There are so many things to consider. A relationship between rulers is something that needs to be evaluated under the hardest of scrutiny and with all repercussions in mind. That's why I always consider emotional decisions to be shortsighted."

Kei was obviously right. She was definitely correct. Uni knew that.

She glanced towards Nepgear who had just escaped the locked room with Chika.

But maybe just because she was right… didn't mean Uni had to agree.

"Of course this matter has become exceedingly unimportant now that Noire has ceased being the ruler of Lastation." Kei suddenly snapped her back into reality. "She is free to love whoever she wants and now there is nobody she could drag down with her." Kei closed one eye and smiled.

"Ah… that's true." Right… the times to worry about their image were over. Perhaps that was for the better in some people's eyes.

"It is good that you have stayed with the government for now. I appreciate your hard work." Kei was trying to encourage her as well. "It proves that Noire's teachings have taken root in you."

"…" Those words… hurt.

Her reasons for coming here were not as grand. They were not praise-worthy. They weren't…

Once again she looked at Nepgear who was heartily discussing things with Uzume and Histoire. She was so determined. How enviable.

* * *

Evening approached. Uni had spent most of the day inside the Lastation office of this oversized Basilicom. It was a disconcerting feeling to do her work in a different place than usual. She had gotten so used to Noire's big desk filled in all four corners with paperwork, sketches and hard drives. Noire was tidy and well organized. Uni usually sat at an adjacent table and worked on the leftovers that she could fetch from the side.

The highly classified and important stuff had now been transferred over to this new Basilicom in just a night. The Oracle's preparations were commendable, but to Uni it just drove home that her old life was over.

Now she sat at the center of the table. Now this was _her_ work.

Under different circumstances she would have been delighted. She aspired to be the next CPU of Lastation for a long time. To be entrusted with so much responsibility would have meant she was ready.

She was…

No, there was nothing she could be ready for at this point. She was human now. Her goal, her work, it was all for nothing.

She let the stamp in her right hand sink down and uselessly hit the table. The forms in front of her seemed to be unreadable… they were all just one big black and white blur.

Oh. It wasn't the papers that were blurry. Those were her tear-filled eyes.

She had tried to hold it in the entire time, but it was so hard. In this lonely dark room with nothing but unfeeling objects around her she could finally give in.

She cried into her arms instead of soiling the papers and keyboard. Her shaking shoulders were the only sign to the outside that she was relieving her frustrations, as she made sure not to make a sound.

Everything was over already. Her goal was gone, her sister was far away and nobody had any time to stop and pity her. And she didn't want to be pitied. But at the very least when she was alone like this she could be sad. She could admit her fears. Even if nobody else would ever see them.

 _Creaaak._

The door to the office opened slowly. Uni's heart jumped and she hastily wiped her face with her arms. She raised her head over the monitor in front of her to see who had approached.

"My apologies. I had assumed you already went to bed." Kei's calm voice took the pressure out of the air and made Uni sit back down. "It is rather dark in here. You will hurt your eyes." She flipped the main light switch next to the door and with a buzzing sound the overhead lamp burst into blinding brightness.

"I am almost done with this." Uni randomly picked up a file and pretended to have been reading it until now.

"How diligent." Kei walked past the table and came around to see the finished pile. It was pretty large. "See, I told you to keep the lights on. Your eyes are already red from strain." She had taken a look at Uni's face as well.

"Yes… I'll remember that." She couldn't tell her why her eyes were actually red.

"I will take it from here, so rest in your room. It's already way past midnight." Kei smiled sympathetically and put a hand on Uni's shoulder. She had never been that expressive or touchy in the past. Now Uni wondered even more what had happened during her travels.

"You need to sleep as well!" She argued.

"Certainly. I will just take a short look at your progress. But it is of utmost importance that you don't forget your new limits. For us humans there is always a limitation that needs to be circumvented or acknowledged. I am aware that you have encountered many limits in the past yourself, but there is no need to break all of these new ones right away."

"Kei…" Maybe there was someone she could open up to after all. "Can we talk a little?" She asked quietly.

Kei raised a brow. Then she nodded.

"I always listen to the very end, you know so."

* * *

Uni returned late at night. When she entered their shared room she wasn't surprised to see Nepgear already deep asleep on her bed. The young girl looked completely exhausted. But her sleeping face was also calm. This showed how an honest day's work and a pure conscience could grant peace to people.

She let herself fall on top of the shaking bed and her unmoved blanket. They were sleeping pretty far apart, but it was still the same room. Hearing the regular breathing from her girlfriend was enough to make her doze off as well.

When she woke up the next day she was still clothed and in that weird position. She really should have gotten ready before sleeping! Now her neck hurt.

While rubbing the stinging area she noticed that Nepgear was still asleep. Maybe she was used to it from her lazy sister. Uni on the other hand always woke up at dawn. Even if she went to sleep mere hours ago.

She went through her morning routine as usual and was joined by the sleepyhead around the end of it. Uni went ahead to eat breakfast early so she could talk to Kei about a few things.

When she returned Nepgear had just finished her own breakfast and was staring ahead blankly. Maybe she was still half-asleep. To Uni's surprise Uzume was nowhere to be seen. She had assumed they would eat together…

"Can I come along today?" She asked her with a distant voice.

"Huh? Of course you can!" Nepgear realized she was being watched only after Uni had made herself noticeable by calling out. She put down her spoon and jumped closer. "The more the merrier. You are really knowledgeable too, so you can give Uzume lots of pointers."

"Y-yes…"

"You worked late yesterday, right? I was trying to wait for you, but I fell asleep, ehehe." She bonked her head with her hand to show off her airheadedness.

"It's fine. Just sleep when you feel like it." Uni didn't want her to wait for her. "What's the lesson today?"

"I'm not sure. Histy wanted to talk to us first." Nepgear put a finger to her cheek in contemplation. "Do you think she figured something out about the Share drain already?"

"Ah… that sounds too convenient." Uni averted her gaze and said so pessimistically. She didn't believe in miracles right now.

They moved to Histoire's personal quarters where she spent almost all her time analyzing data. It was sad to think she was holed up inside this place without ever resting. In front of the door they met Uzume who was already waiting for them.

"Mornin'!" She greeted them with a wave.

"You are here so early." Nepgear was surprised. They hadn't seen her at breakfast after all, so it was curious to see her already set.

"Histy called me over first, but she was busy when I knocked before." Uzume explained. "She's workin' pretty hard." So even Uzume was worried about it.

Uni just stood in the background and let them talk. She didn't really feel like she could enter their conversations anyway.

"I'll knock again." Uzume decided and lightly hammered her fist against the door. There was no response. "Huh? That's weird." She knocked again, this time with force. No reaction.

"Maybe she fell asleep?" Nepgear surmised.

"I guess…" Uzume didn't look convinced. After a moment of hesitation she pushed the door open without warning. She rushed inside and then gasped. "Histy! Are you okay?"

Uni looked around the corner of the door and realized that Uzume was kneeling on the floor. Histoire was lying on top of her tome that was flung on the floor. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were closed.

"Oh no!" Nepgear was shocked and rushed in as well. They both grabbed Histoire carefully and set her down on an armchair. The small Oracle looked like she had fainted.

"C'mon Histy, respond." Uzume lightly shook her friend. She was desperate.

"Haah…. Mhrm…" Histoire was responding with quiet moans and slowly opened her eyes, which were still glowing with numbers.

"Thank goodness!" Nepgear let her head sink in relief.

"…hm? Huh? What are you doing here Uzume, Nepgear?" Histy was disoriented.

"You called for us, remember?" Nepgear held her tiny hand and waited for the tome girl to recover.

"T-that's right…" Histy held her tiny head as if it was splitting apart.

"Take it easy. We can wait some more." Uzume suggested.

"No, this is an urgent mission." Histoire snapped out of her haze. "Falcom requested support from you! Some powerful monsters attacked a village and she can't handle them on her own!"

"For real?! That's urgent alright!" Uzume jerked back and then rose from her knees.

"Where did that happen?" Nepgear asked with more composure.

"Near Leanbox. I will give you the coordinates. Uzume, you are the only CPU now, so I must ask you to protect the people." Histy implored her.

"Don't even need to ask!" Uzume clutched her fist and then rushed out the door. "Gimme the coordinates over the N-Gear later Gearsy!" She jumped down the stairs to the lower floor in an instant. There was no time to waste.

"Wait Uzume!" Nepgear called after her. "I will help!" She decided.

"Nepgear?! This is dangerous! You can't-" Uni stretched out a hand to stop her, but the purple haired girl was already brushing past her.

"I'm sorry, but if people are in danger we can't just sit back." Nepgear replied over her shoulder as she ran down the stairs.

"But you aren't…" Uni bit her lower lip.

"I apologize for pushing this onto you so suddenly." Histoire rubbed her sweating forehead. "But there is nobody else who could respond as fast."

"It's not your fault." Uni sighed. If her girlfriend was going to jump into danger then she had no other choice but to follow. "What kind of monsters are we talking about?"

"Tough beasts that have gone on a rampage. Falcom called them 'unusually aggressive'. She didn't have time to explain." Histy's worried tone spoke volumes of the situation over in the Hyper dimension.

"Sounds familiar." Uni's expression was grim.

* * *

"OUTTA MY WAY!" Uzume roared into her megaphone and the shockwave pushed a dragon into the ground. She had entered the battlefield with a bang.

And she hadn't arrived a second too early, because Falcom was currently being pinned down by the claw of a shrieking Phoenix. Her sword was barely able to push it back.

"Reinforcements? Luck is on my side." The short-haired girl seemed relieved to see them arrive.

"Get off of her you stupid feather duster!" Uzume jumped off the tumbled over dragon and pulled her arm back for a big punch. The impact of her fist sent the Phoenix flying into the sky. The moment she landed back on the ground she pulled Falcom up by the arm. "Everything alright? All limbs still attached?"

"I am fine, thanks to you." The swordswoman calmed her down. "The village has been evacuated already. Nobody has come to harm." She added to get that worry out of the way as well.

"You held 'em off all on your own?" Uzume was impressed.

"Haha, not exactly. Cave lent me a hand. Without her quick thinking I wouldn't have been able to guide the citizens out of danger in time."

"Cave is here as well?" Nepgear appeared from behind Uzume. She was a little out of breath.

"Yes, she responded to my SOS. Currently she should be protecting the stragglers in the east. But the bulk of the monsters are gathered here." She pointed her sword at the rampaging creatures. They were smashing trees, buildings and everything that came into their line of sight.

"The heck is wrong with them?" Uzume clicked her tongue. Monsters weren't usually this aggressive. Nor did they go out of their way to attack villages.

"I'm not sure, but we don't have the leisure to find out." Falcom smirked and went into a sword stance.

"You can leave the rest to me!" Uzume declared and then leaped several meters ahead at once. She was crashing straight into the bulk of the monsters.

"She is passionate. I like that." Falcom grinned. "But we can't let her outshine us, right?" She nodded towards Nepgear.

"I think your competitiveness is a little extreme…" Nepgear smiled wryly.

"You can't improve as a warrior if you don't fight the odds!" The adventuress ran after Uzume and slashed the first giant turtle's legs with her sword.

Nepgear psyched herself up and then drew her sword as well.

"Wait!" Uni's voice made her leg muscles cramp up before she could sprint into the fray. "Nepgear you aren't used to fighting with that body yet!" The raven haired girl was out of breath and sweating, but she had never stopped running after them.

"That's true." She admitted. "But it will be fine!" She was certain for some reason. The same moment she said so a giant horsebird galloped into their field of vision and neighed as it tried to trample them with its hooves.

"Damn it!" Uni pulled up her rifle, but she was too slow on the draw. There was no way she could shoot it from this close range!

"HIYAH!" Nepgear spun around and sliced straight through the oversized monster's chest! The monster neighed in surprise before exploding into particles.

"Eh?" Uni blinked a few times. "H-how are you moving so fluidly even though the weapon is so heavy?!" It was like Nepgear wasn't weakened at all.

"Hehe. Usually you would be right, but you know." She pulled up her sword to show off its glow. "Beam sabers don't weigh anything." She said with an outstretched tongue.

"Haaah? What a lame twist." Uni retorted.

"L-lame..?" Nepgear took some mental damage.

"Whatever. Just don't get into a bad spot." Uni mumbled and ran up the hill. On top of it she put down her sniper-rifle and lay down. This was far enough from the center of the fight to put her out of danger, but still close enough to give her a perfect cover position.

"Thank you." Nepgear's eyes softened at her girlfriend's genuine support.

* * *

The battle only truly started now. The monsters were not just more aggressive than usual, they were also outnumbering them. And considering that these were all tough enemies that put them at somewhat of a disadvantage.

Uzume was dodging two dark Fenrirs' claws. They might have been mad in rage, but they still worked as a pack. One claw missed her by a hair's breadth, but then Uzume spun around with swirling energy around her left arm.

"I'm gonna beat the live outta you!" She rammed her spiral covered fist straight into the Fenrir's unprotected side. As she pulled out her arm and turned away, the Fenrir _exploded_.

Instead of backing off after that display of power… the monsters instead started to focus the CPU. Flames burst out of the ground next to her feet, icicles came flying her way and impaled trees behind her and even the knocked out dragon burst out of the hole it had been slammed into.

Uzume ducked below the icicles and kicked the earth so hard that chunks flew on top of the flames and put them out. Then she threw her megaphone at the freshly revived dragon, knocking it right back out with a pathetic shriek.

"Come at me all at once then!" She cracked her fists.

While this ridiculous brawl took place, the leftover monsters were still engaging the rest of the party.

"Mirage Dance!" Indeed, like a dance of slashes the combination attack cut through another monster. Nepgear was nimble on her feet and her beam sword sliced through enemies like butter. Her offensive was certainly good, but…

 _Blam!_

A robotic drone behind Nepgear crashed down with sparks spewing from its head. It had been sniped down without a warning. Nepgear hadn't even noticed as she bravely pushed ahead.

Uni focused her vision through her scope. She was protecting Nepgear's back. That girl was too concentrated on the enemies ahead of her. Even if she was still swift, her reflexes had considerably slowed down, as did her awareness. If she had been fighting these masses alone she would already have received some major injuries. But Uni wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't let it happen!

Her aim was true, but some of the flying monsters were giving her a hard time. The drones were locking on to her every now and then as well. How did robots even go crazy like the rest? She shot them down before they got close enough to shoot back, but it was tough doing so while protecting Nepgear.

She reloaded for just half a second, but even that was too slow. One of the golems was throwing a rock towards Nepgear's unprotected side! This time the former CPU candidate noticed, but was unable to react. Uni grunted and slammed the magazine into the gun. It didn't matter, she didn't need bullets! She aimed ahead and gathered energy at the barrel.

"EX Multi Buster!" She announced her attack and a beam of concentrated energy shot into the rock at blinding speed and completely evaporated it.

"Nice assist Uni!" Nepgear gave her a thumbs up.

"N-Nevermind me, just watch out you dummy!" She stuttered and adjusted the badly inserted magazine she had hastily smashed into her precious rifle.

And Nepgear did as she was ordered. The golem was unprepared for her sudden slash wave. It was scorched and pushed back into one of its fellows.

Uni released some of her tension. This wasn't good for her heart. One wrong move on her end and Nepgear could get seriously hurt. Her throat had already turned dry from the stress.

They were both caught off guard by the sudden roar to the left. A whole pile of Ancient Dragons was jumping down on Uzume! But the red-head didn't even flinch.

"I'll give you a _special_ dream." She stretched her megaphone to the side and two magic circles appeared next to her. "A nightmare just for youuuu!" She roared into her weapon and intense beams of energy were released from the seals. They blasted holes into the enemies' lines.

But the mad dragons didn't even stop when their comrades got blasted. They kept snapping their jaws at her. Uzume grit her teeth and stopped the first dragon's bite by holding open its jaw with her gloved hands. Her feet were pushed through the earth below. By flexing her muscles she actually swung the dragon in a circle… and then rammed its body straight into the others!

"BREAKDOWN!" Another yell through her megaphone smashed the dragons down and they _exploded._

"This is the power of the new CPU." Falcom commented as if she was the narrator while casually cross-slicing a giant dogoo.

Uzume could certainly handle herself. Even Uni had to admit that her feats of strength here were impressive. But she was asking herself the same thing that probably went through all their heads right now.

 _Why wasn't Uzume transforming?_

She might have been strong, but wasn't it arrogant to think she could take all of them on in human form? Not even Blanc or Noire were _that_ cocky. She was clearly overflowing with Share energy, so what was the hold up?

While wondering about that, Uni didn't let up on covering for Nepgear who was slowly fighting her way towards her friends.

* * *

Things were not calming down. How many monsters had Uzume smashed already? She couldn't even count them anymore. Not that she ever started to. Each mob was just another to crush. What worried her was the desperation these beasts displayed. They weren't acting natural. This suicidal way of attacking her… it reminded her more of the delusional monsters back then.

No way.

She kicked a Phoenix down from the air and punched it into the rocks.

No way!

She released a flurry of punches on a group of corrupted fairies until they _exploded_.

 _She_ was dead. These monsters weren't tainted by darkness. They weren't created from nightmares. They were just wild beasts. Every time her fist connected with one of them she was more certain of that. These creatures acted like animals right before a disaster. They rushed away from the endangered area. But what if there was no way to escape? Then all they had left was to turn mad and trash at everything in their way…

Her elbow crashed down on a treant like monster.

Uzume couldn't help but think this was no coincidence. What were the odds that something like this happened right after the current crisis began? There hadn't been anything unusual happening in the monster population ever since they had destroyed the Heart dimension. Only now.

She gasped as a tail hit her in the back. It stung, but she didn't slow down. Grabbing the tail and ripping it straight out of the dragon's back. Then slamming it into the dragon's jaw to make it fly off.

Her feet became unsteady. She was taking more hits than expected. Their strength was on completely different levels. None of them could even give her a challenge. But they had numbers. And desperation.

Uzume raised her fist to punch the incoming storm bird-

 **BA-DUMP.**

Her entire body was pulsing. Her heartbeat was so painful it almost made her pass out. Her legs stalled. Her fist loosened. She couldn't… breathe…

The bird hit her frontally with its beak and rammed her into a tree.

"Argh…!" She coughed at the pressure and impact. This wasn't good. She had another 'attack'. Her body was heating up. She could feel sweat pouring down her face.

The bird raised its claw to impale her.

"Don't… gimme… that look." She wasn't prey. There was no way she could fail here. As long as these monsters rampaged the people of the village weren't safe… Gamindustri wasn't safe.

Energy swirled around her arm again. The bird's claw came at her in an arc. She grabbed it out of the air with her bare hand. Then she closed her fingers. They dug straight into the armored claw and the bird cried out.

"Remember the _pecking_ order next time!" She kicked off the tree and rammed the bird's own claw into its face, utterly crushing it mid-flight. The explosion of the monster propelled her back into the fray.

As she landed she already felt nauseous again. This wasn't good. The longer she resisted the forced transformation the worse she would get. But if she turned into Orange Heart now she would… Her head was pounding.

* * *

Whatever had just happened, it looked like Uzume had somehow persevered. Uni didn't have time to shoot the storm bird that had attacked the red-head, because she was covering Nepgear.

"What is wrong Uzume?" She could hear Nepgear's worried call. She would do well not to focus on others so much in the middle of a fight.

Not that Uni could fault her for being this way. Uzume was really acting strange. Her movements had slowed down considerably and she was somehow _staggering_ through the fight.

Ah, right there! She didn't dodge another attack in time and this one was aimed for her head! But Nepgear jumped ahead and blocked the energy beam with her sword! Only to be pushed off her feet by the intensity.

"Gearsy?!" Uzume looked behind her with one eye closed. Her face was sweat covered, but she didn't have time to worry over Nepgear. The second beam hit her against the chest.

And now six monsters surrounded Nepgear who was still lying on the ground.

Uni's synapses exploded. Time seemed to slow down. Her finger was on the trigger and her reticle aimed at the enemies. Six shots. She just had to hit six shots in succession. Nepgear was in mortal danger…!

 _Hit!_

A bullet shattered the first beast's skull.

 _Hit!_

Straight through the next's heart.

 _Hit!_

She shot off the tentacle that was trying to strangle Nepgear. The bullet curved enough to also hit the monster in the side, so it went down for now.

 _Hit!_

Into the wolf's open gullet.

 _Hit!_

Into the bat's tiny eye.

 _Miss!_

The oversized cat dodged the bullet agilely! Its claws were going straight for Nepgear's face.

"No! Nonnono!" Uni cried out and tried to shoot again. She had to make it in time! "Urgh!" But suddenly a tremendous force was tied around her throat and flung her back. Behind her!

"SKREEE!" A plant monster had grown out of the grass and its vines were strangling Uni. She let go of her rifle by accident and pulled on the vines around her throat. Her strength… was fading fast.

But her eyes were only looking at Nepgear who was about to be slashed. She could see her hand go for the sword, but it was too slow.

"Transfoooorm!" Uzume's yell was accompanied by a shockwave so strong it sent most monsters stumbling over. "Gearsy!" Orange Heart flew so fast that she almost broke the sound barrier. She grabbed Nepgear and pulled her out of the claws range in the last moment.

The orange haired CPU and Nepgear rolled over the ground and hit it several times before finally stopping on a hill close-by. Orange Heart was embracing Nepgear with all her might to protect her from damage.

Nepgear was safe… Uni was relieved… even if she was blacking out from being strangled…

And then the grip loosened instantly. A sort of sizzling sound behind her made Uni aware that the plant monster was smoldering from the head downwards. She coughed a few times and then turned around.

Cave stood there with a raised ray-gun. And her eyes were piercing as a blade. Smoke rose from her weapon, but she kept walking and shot down the next incoming enemies. As she passed Uni she pulled her up by the hand and handed her the rifle from the ground.

"We are almost done here." She said calmly.

Uni gulped and looked ahead. Cave was right. The monsters had been dwindled down to a handful after Uzume's explosive transformation. It seemed the last ones were actually the group that attacked Nepgear. In the distance she could see Falcom stabbing her sword into the last monster in a long row of dissipating corpses.

"C-Cave y-you…" Uni was almost afraid to address her.

"What is the matter?" Cave looked back with a questioning look.

"….nothing." Uni couldn't ask after all.

The former secret service member walked down the hill and shot rays at the remaining monsters. The fight was finally over.

Uni sank to her knees again and held her weapon in exhaustion. She looked down towards the battlefield. It was pretty messy. But what about Nepgear?

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Uzume asked Nepgear while still holding her in an embrace. She had transformed back right after saving her.

"Not a scratch on me." Nepgear replied with relief.

"That was waaay too close." Uzume sighed. She was so happy that it didn't go wrong.

"Uhm… Uzume… you are hugging a little too tight." Nepgear pointed out.

"Ah! Sorry!" She let go immediately after having pressed so tightly against her for a while. "It must have been a little hot for you." She said awkwardly.

"It… it was a little hot." She nodded with a slightly red face.

Uni crushed the handle of her rifle.

"You really saved my life back there!" Nepgear was incredibly thankful. "I wanted to help you, but you just ended up saving me again. It seems _you_ always have to do it somehow."

Uni's eyes were covered in shadow.

"The heck are you saying? You took that blow for me when I was down!"

"But I just got myself into a worse situation because of it…"

"Gearsy. You're too humble. You got my back and I got yours, right?"

"Yes!" She smiled brightly.

Uzume raised her fist. Nepgear looked at it for a moment and then realized what she was trying to do.

They bumped fists.

"I tried to protect her too…" Uni whispered to herself. She tried so hard… she was so _worried_. But only Uzume got her attention. This feeling in her chest was horrible. Like a flame burning away at her heart.

Why had it to be _her_? Nepgear's eyes were only looking at…

She was stupid. She was an idiot for feeling like this. It must have been because she almost lost Nepgear. The shock and fear had just rattled her. That was all. She couldn't express her concern very well, so that's why she felt like… felt like… Uzume was her enemy.

"You did well Uni." Falcom had trudged up the hill and was commending her with the smile of a comrade in arms.

"I don't want to hear those words from _you_ …." Uni mumbled with a lowered head.

The one she wanted to be praised by was…

* * *

"What happened to you Cave?!" Nepgear's mouth turned square shaped at the sight of the stoic woman.

"Is there something amiss?" Cave cocked her head to the side.

"Y-y-you're covered in blood from head to toe!" One had to _bath_ in the blood of their enemies to be so completely covered in red as Cave was right now! No wonder Uni was afraid of her. She looked like a bloodthirsty wraith.

"Metal." Uzume was fascinated. Cave certainly looked 'cool' right now. More than usual.

"Oh. This isn't blood. It's tomato juice." She explained.

"EH?!"

"One of the monsters hit a market stand while I evacuated the citizens. I was hit by the wares."

Leave it to Cave to make tomato juice intimidating.

 _(To be continued)_


	10. Episode 9: Kei

**Random Trivia: This site only allows 2 tags per story. If I had unlimited tags this trilogy would have been labeled with "Humor, Romance, Drama, Adventure". As if it wasn't obvious already.**

* * *

 **Episode 9: Kei**

"Very well, if you have prepared yourself I would like to start the lesson." Kei looked at her one and only student with expectant eyes. She stood in front of a holographic projector with the keyboard in reach of her hands.

"Just shoot away!" The red-head gave her the okay.

"This is very exciting." Nepgear said from the bench behind Uzume. She was the only other person attending this private lesson. Whether she was Uzume's moral support or some sort of advisor wasn't quite clear to Kei.

"First I will explain to you the basics of Gamindustri's current political and economical situation then." Kei cleared her throat and began her extensive monologue.

The longer she spoke the more uneasy she got. The reason for that was Uzume's response to her teachings. Her orange eyes were slowly closing more and more. And it seemed like her enthusiasm went into the same bottomless pit that Blanc's patience disappeared to on a regular basis.

Nepgear was listening more intently than the one who was supposed to learn something here…

"Ahem." Kei huffed and clapped her hands loudly, which made Uzume jump. She was actually startled? It was true that a continuous monotonous stream of a professional voice like Kei's could be tiring even to the most eager of listeners. Lastation's former Oracle knew all too well of her own flaws after having to tutor and advise much less patient people over the last year. "Did you get that?" She asked with doubtful eyes.

"Y-yeah, totally. You gotta watch the Share bar on the screen and when things go down the drain, just start some PR event or somethin'." Uzume said with more confidence than such a vague statement deserved.

Kei sighed while Nepgear laughed dryly.

"Do you know what PR even means?" Kei tried to loosen the atmosphere with a joke. It wasn't her métier, but when faced with this 'adversary'…

"' _Party Rock_ ' right?" Uzume grinned cheerfully. Not even a hint of irony.

"S-she isn't entirely wrong. Conceptually speaking. I think?" Nepgear raised her hands to calm Kei down before she had a very un-Kei-like breakdown.

Was this really the only hope of Gamindustri? Kei truly felt spoiled now, having worked with Noire for all these years. She had always pitied Histoire for having to deal with Neptune's quirkiness, but at the very least she still had Nepgear as a backup of sorts.

How could one mold _that_ into a passable ruler?

"Let's change our approach for a bit." She wasn't about to give up just yet. Her repertoire had grown significantly, hadn't it? "The public relations office wants to commemorate an upcoming ten year anniversary of your reign." She pulled up three pictures on the holo-projector. "They suggested a giant statue of the CPU as their new symbol of trust. The merchant clientele requests reduction of export taxes. A non-profit organization asks for funds to help build more orphanages. As the CPU you are also allowed to make your own suggestions of course. How would you approach this scenario?"

Multiple choice questions with distinct stakes and solutions were the best way to make a beginner engaged in the topic! It had been proven countless times by statistics. Kei could already see Uzume's eyes light up in excitement.

Nepgear seemed happy as well. She understood Kei's approach. She probably had her own answer to this problem as well, but she wouldn't interfere with Uzume's contemplations.

"That's easy." She rubbed her nose confidently. "Just do 'em all!"

Kei's right eyebrow twitched.

"U-Uzume… That's a little…" Nepgear was sweating more than the one who made the ludicrous suggestion.

"What? She said I can make my own suggestion too. If it's some big anniversary event then we should make everybody happy! Don't you think a statue would be, like, super cool? And building orphanages is even better. I know a lot of kids who would love to have a home and real parents. Nobody likes taxes anyway, so let's give the merchants a share too." She explained her logic with an arm leaned over her chair.

Kei controlled her urge to facepalm. This fledgling CPU…

Of course she wasn't wrong. Kei had given her the option to make her own suggestion. But to think she would try to please every side at once? That was completely unexpected. Someone with restraint and forethought would have known that the budget was limited. There was no way she could make _everybody_ happy. To be honest, she had not expected this choice at all. If she had known then she would have added a monetary factor to the question.

"Uhm, this is really expensive, but I think Uzume's choice is good." Nepgear suddenly raised her hand as if she was in class.

"Are you… certain of that?" Kei looked at the former CPU candidate as if she had lost her mind.

"Yes! Although it would require a lot of money, this anniversary is a really rare event. If she can pull it off then the people will be extremely happy. If she does it during that time where her reign is supposed to be celebrated then the people will definitely think she is a generous person!"

"We could get rid of the statue if it's too expensive. Would be pretty embarrassing to stare at my own stone face every day anyway." Uzume rubbed her head.

The statue was the worst choice by far, but Kei was surprised to hear her let go of that one first. She cupped her chin. Nepgear's words had a grain of truth in them. It was a bold move indeed, but with the right marketing it could be used as a bargaining tool as well.

The correct choice in her eyes would have been a tax reduction. It was only natural for a business minded individual. But now she was not so convinced anymore.

"I understand your way of thinking now." Kei said with closed eyes.

"Huh?"

"Was this a test?" Nepgear blinked.

"Mhm. There was no entirely correct choice here. Each choice would reveal something about the thought process of the questioned person. Their character would come to the forefront if you will." The silver-haired girl extended her hand and gave them a cunning smile. "I admit that I assumed you would choose the statue out of a sense of pride."

"I mean, everyone probably dreamed of that at least once. I ain't saying it's a super good idea." Uzume was fidgeting around.

"A sentimental person would likely have focused on the orphanages and with your background I did also consider that as you preferred choice." Kei shrugged. "Yet somehow you have thwarted all my expectations and not even by making the choice that I would have made."

"You're way smarter than me Kei, so if you would've chosen the taxes I'd have agreed to it too." Uzume admitted. "But if I can do it I want to make everyone happy!"

No matter how feasible her ideal choice was, she had at the very least given it some thought. In a moment of weakness Kei mentally admitted that she quite liked that honest and naïve approach as well. A straightforward ruler like this girl might very well be incredibly popular with the people.

But as a former Oracle and the one who had looked at the yearly balance of the Basilicom's expenses she could only feel bad for Uzume's future staff. As long as she had Nepgear around as a backer she would be someone who was hard to refuse at the very least.

"What would Noire have chosen?" She quietly wondered to herself. Once she had known Noire's calculating way of doing things, but these days? It was a mystery.

* * *

A few hours of unrivaled suffering later Kei was finally free to move about the Basilicom. She had drilled as much knowledge and common sense into Uzume's head as she was able in such a short time. The girl was by no means unintelligent; she just had a tendency to approach things too directly. Subtlety was something one had to acquire with experience.

After make a short stop in the kitchen and downing a rejuvenating coffee she decided to check on Histoire. The two oracles were friends after all. A term she used very rarely.

They discussed Uzume's progress and caught up on a few minor events before Histoire politely asked for some time to herself. She was investing as much of her concentration in her data analyses as she could manage.

Knowing that Mina and Chika were busy with their own workload she finally decided to head to Lastation's office. There was nothing else for her to do at this point. According to the watch on the wall it was already past midnight. Uni should have gone to sleep already, so Kei could use that time to review her work.

During her walk through the magnificent hallways she reminisced about the last months. She had been walking halls and fancy rugs for a while already.

Her journey led her to the highest of positions. She was advisor to kings and business magnates alike. In that time she had learned a lot about patience and selfishness. Nobles had a sense of entitlement unlike anything she had encountered in Lastation. Their decisions were unreasonable, their desire unquenchable and the only individuals worse than the foolish players were the shrewd schemers.

"Illogical." Kei had been forced to learn the hard way how to appease these incomprehensible people. Sometimes her life depended on it. Much to her chagrin she had to make deals and engage in trickery to achieve goals for her employers.

These experiences had all given her a new perspective and just instilled a sense of gratitude in her to have worked with girls as competent as Noire and Uni.

She put a hand to her pale forehead. It was still cool. Despite her patience being tested over and over again, she had never once lost her composure. At some point she had wondered if perhaps…

As she opened the wooden door with a long creaking sound she was surprised to see Uni still up and working.

Kei immediately spotted the red eyes. Quite contrary to her words she realized what they were actually implying. Knowing Uni's prideful side she assumed it would have hurt her more to admit her tears, so the Oracle didn't bring it up.

"Kei… Can we talk a little?" Uni's voice was shaking a bit when she made that request.

Kei was frankly surprised to hear that. She never had the feeling to be someone people would turn to for personal support. It stirred something inside her.

"I always listen to the very end, you know so."

Uni looked up to her with gratitude. Then she pulled her legs up on the chair and rested her chin on her knees. Such a defensive stance.

"I don't know what my purpose in life is anymore." She said.

The first and foremost trouble had now been thrown into the room. Kei had expected it, but that didn't make it any easier to address.

"Even if you lose one destiny another will soon appear." Kei replied.

"That doesn't sound like you at all… Are you just trying to comfort me?" Uni said with a sad smile.

"Those words were not mine. I picked them up when the prince of a certain kingdom was bereft of his throne. The court wizard told him exactly that and a few weeks later the prince became the leader of a rebellion. They overthrew the despotic king and created a democracy."

"Seriously?" Uni stared at Kei.

"Yes. During that time I was the financial advisor for said king. I pointed out that the taxes were too high, but he insisted on raising them."

"Wow. You have been doing some crazy stuff, huh?"

"Indubitably." Kei shrugged slightly and leaned herself against the desk. "The wizard's words hold weight. If you lose one opportunity, reach for another. Your sister has already done so."

"Big sis is strong." Uni said with a downcast expression. "I can't be like her."

"Is there any need to? Noire has her own regrets, I'm sure. She probably envies your determination as well."

"My… determination?" Uni listened up.

"You came to this place to secure the future of Gamindustri. Noire could not overcome her regrets so she chose to go her own way instead." She was probably putting too much conjecture into these statements. Kei could not reliably claim these things as objective truths. But sometimes objective truths were not necessary. She had learned that as well.

"That's not true! It's not true at all." Uni grit her teeth. "I didn't come here for anything great like that… _I just wanted to be with Nepgear_." She admitted her shame.

"…pardon?" Kei made a poker face. Uni's frail, yet longing expression gave her a very specific image. But that couldn't be accurate.

"I j-just want to be with t-the ones I l-love..!" Uni exclaimed. "But she shines too bright! She wants to help everyone! I can't drag her down again! That's why I decided to suppress these feelings!" Uni poured her heart out to the world.

Love? Kei put hand to her mouth and analyzed the outburst. Not just Noire, but Uni as well? There had been a strong friendship between those two girls, but did they actually become a real couple? If she had known that she would have approached the whole conversation differently. Uni had build a emotional dependence on someone other than Noire and this was the result…

Uni looked away with a flushed face. A mix of embarrassment and sadness.

Kei put down her hand and exhaled. This wasn't the time to go all analytical.

"I wasn't aware of your relationship. It was insensitive of me to speak as if I knew your feelings." She bowed her head.

"Please stop." Uni looked guilt ridden. "I can't ask Nepgear to look just at me." She wiped the fresh tears away.

"…" Kei had no response. Uni was correct. Saying anything to the contrary would be irresponsible.

"I don't want to sleep. I have these terrible dreams." Uni leaned her head on her hands. "I am standing at big sis' grave. And Nepgear stands next to me… and then she fades away."

"Are you afraid of dying?" Kei asked directly.

"It's scary… but I don't care if I die." Uni said darkly.

"You are afraid to lose other people." Kei nodded. "Turning human has some inconvenient side-effects to it. Aging, growing old, dying. We cannot avoid that reality."

"I always knew that, but suddenly I can't control this fear anymore." Uni was really lost.

"For me it was always a normal part of life. The important thing is to use that time wisely. To achieve what you want to achieve and then pass on without any leftover regrets." She was really not good at comforting someone. "Uni, if you have affections for Nepgear then you should use that as your starting line. Use your time wisely. Staying away would be a complete waste. It can only lead to regret."

"You want me to get closer to her, even though she works so hard?"

"There aren't very many people who work harder than you Uni." Kei countered. "I have seen your growth over the years. And now that I have returned that just became more apparent."

Uni's face lighted up ever so slightly.

"Why did you leave us Kei?" She asked while letting down her legs. "You said you wanted to improve as a Oracle. Is that true?"

"It is." The silver-haired girl chuckled.

"But you were a great Oracle already."

"My qualifications were purely… logical." Kei gazed out the window. "My journey was not started to improve my knowledge of business or bureaucracy. The thing I sought was… empathy." It was not easy to confess this, even for her. "I never understood people very well. I could tell what they wanted or how they tried to achieve it, but I never really understood _them_. The same goes for Noire and you. I saw you as the CPUs and the people I work with. I criticized Noire's decisions when they were not adhering to my logic."

"I didn't know you felt that way…" Uni was shocked.

"I have set out to see the perspectives of many different people. To comply with what was demanded of me I needed to understand my adversaries better than just on a _want_ and _need_ basis." She sighed. "It might have been a fool's errand."

"I think you were fine the way you were… Sometimes I thought you were too strict, but you did the right thing when necessary." Uni expressed her own thoughts on the matter.

"I have been cold. It was something I regretted dearly. If I had stayed here I would certainly have stopped Noire from pursuing her relationship with Lady Neptune. I would have easily forgotten Noire as my CPU and served Gold Third."

"Even if I can't be like you or Noire, I will try to follow your advice." Uni's words touched Kei. The girl was facing all these problems and still tried to encourage her back. "I will… try to be with Nepgear. No… no matter what." The hesitance in her words was apparent.

It seemed that even her best attempts were not enough. She needed to discuss this with someone who knew Uni even better.

* * *

Three days passed after the night of that emotional discussion.

Kei was now strolling through a park in Lastation. It didn't appear to be for relaxation. Every time she turned she subtly looked over her shoulder. After making an unnecessary stop at the hedge maze she finally slipped into the shadows of a back alley. From there she reached a backdoor that she knocked on in a specific pattern.

The instant her fist left the door for the last time the handle was pushed down and then the silver-haired girl was dragged in forcefully. Right away the door was closed and locked again.

Kei adjusted her suit that had been pulled so forcefully and looked at the door guard. She was wearing very tacky sunglasses and a ridiculous light blue wig.

"Did nobody follow you?" Noire asked with uneasy movements. She checked through the peek hole and the curtains of the window.

"I did my utmost to prevent it." She replied with a raised brow. "What is the meaning of all this secrecy about your location? This is the third time you changed your address since I contacted you three days ago." Perhaps there was a hint of irritation in her cool voice.

"I'm sorry; I had to get away from those places as fast as possible." Noire sighed in relief after making sure they were alone. "Let's go up to the apartment." She waved her to follow her upstairs.

"Who are you running from?" Kei pursed her lips, but followed obediently.

On the highest floor they finally entered Noire's new apartment. It was incredibly spacious and lots of costumes, instruments and other equipment were strewn about the ground. This was just another sign of Noire's hasty move. Admittedly this place was a paradise for any newbie artist or performer. It had a very nice atmosphere.

"I'm not running from her!" Noire looked up from the kitchen counter and pointed her finger at Kei.

"Her?" Kei wasn't deterred.

"Nnnngh… Neptune. She keeps finding me somehow." Noire grumbled and pushed a cup of piping hot coffee into Kei's hand.

"I didn't take you for someone to brag about your relationship." Kei said with a sly grin.

"Ha. Ha." Noire was exasperated. "You heard about our bet, right?" She sat down on a loosely placed mattress. It wasn't attached to a bed.

"Yes. Quite bold." Kei replied neutrally while sipping on the burning hot coffee without even shifting her facial expression.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Noire's hand went though her wig that was still perfectly covering her twintails.

"My assumption is that you are afraid of committing to such a rash decision now, which is why you do not want to meet Lady Neptune." Kei deduced.

"No, I definitely want to marry her." Noire replied calmly and picked up her own cup.

Kei _almost_ chocked on her coffee.

While tapping her chest and coughing she stared at Noire. "…then what is the matter with meeting her?" She forced out between coughs.

"Don't look at me weird, okay? The reason why I'm avoiding Neptune…" She put down her sunglasses and gave her a serious look. "…is because I want to be the one to propose."

"…" Yes, Kei was indeed looking at her weird right now.

"Neptune has always been the one in control. But if I propose to her, then I will finally be ahead." Even Noire realized that it was rather silly reasoning.

"I understand. You wish to prepare a proposal that completely eclipses anything she has done before." What a very Noiresque move.

"But she keeps showing up to propose to me first!" Noire bit her nail and shifted her red eyes.

"You could simply refuse." Kei suggested.

"Never." Noire's voice suddenly turned cold. "I couldn't stand it if that happened to me. There is no way I can hurt her feelings like that."

Love was complex. Kei realized once again that she couldn't comprehend this mindset.

"I see. Then I will have to leave this matter to your judgment. But what is distracting you from proposing yourself?"

"Uh… I am currently preparing for my new… j-job." Noire was nervous. "It was a real surprise, you know? Apparently I am really good at singing and playing instruments, so I just happened to be scouted. Because I lost my position I thought, why not try it? It's not like I really care about it, but it would help me pay the bills!" She was making big gestures and acting as if it was a complete coincidence.

Right, she thought that nobody knew about her hobby and 'secret' concerts. Kei's eyes turned dull. For someone so smart Noire was acting like a fool rather often.

Aware of Kei's doubtful look, she shifted the topic.

"So what about Uni? You called me because you wanted to talk about her." She switched from foolishly embarrassing to worried big sister in a second. "She didn't seem to be in trouble when we talked during our daily call yesterday."

"She is putting up a front for you." Kei pointed out the obvious. "There have been some issues between her and Nepgear." She set down her coffee mug.

"Ah. I-is that so?" Noire was not used to talking about relationship drama, especially if it wasn't her own.

"I tried to give her my best advice. She has been sticking close to Nepgear and Uzume for the last few days, but that seemed to have created more discontent."

Noire nodded for her to go on.

"They have been getting into small fights repeatedly. I only noticed it by accident. Nepgear does not seem to be the aggressor however."

"Uni…" Noire held her forehead. "Just be honest with her."

If irony were a type of explosive, the entirety of Gamindustri would just have been vaporized in a pillar of flames.

"She also seems at odds with Uzume. Although _she_ doesn't seem to realize it." Uzume was incredibly slow on the uptake. Kei was not especially emotional, but even she could tell what those glares were supposed to mean.

"I can understand why it would be frustrating to work with Uzume." Noire shrugged. "But Uni hasn't taken out her frustrations on others before." She was concerned to hear it.

Kei would have liked to contest that claim. While Noire had been trapped in the Gamindustri Graveyard Uni had quite often lashed out on Nepgear and her friends.

But those times were long gone. She agreed with Noire's assessment of the new Uni. She wasn't the type to be this aggressive.

The real reason she was mad at Uzume was complex, yet simple. Kei was not sure how to address it though.

"I am at the end of my wits." She revealed.

"I get it. Then let me take care of it." Noire said seriously. "Once I am done with the proposal I will confront Uni about it."

Overcoming her own trial before solving others. That was probably a wise move.

"Should I prepare a marriage form for you?"

"Pffffth?!" Noire spat out her coffee all over the apartment.

"…" Kei patiently wiped the liquid from her face. She should have seen that reaction coming.

"W-w-w-we d-don't need to get m-married right away! J-just getting engaged first, preparing my heart, going for a good location, must find a dress-" Her reply was becoming pretty tangled up. The heat of her face was raising the room temperature explosively.

"Yes."

"What's with that look that says ' _This will never work out'_?! I will show you! And I will show Neptune too! Just a few more days until I am done with my preparations." Noire was rebelling against fate.

"Lady Neptune is just as stubborn as you. She will not stop."

"I have something up my sleeve." Noire chuckled ominously.

"I will pray for your success. Albeit the goddess I am praying to is rather unreliable right now." Kei got up with a wry smile.

"How is Uzume doing?" The currently blue-haired ex-goddess was avoiding eye-contact as she asked.

"She has potential. We won't let the world end while you do what you have to." Those were her genuine feelings.

"!" Noire stared after her former Oracle as she left for the locked door.

Kei opened the door carefully and looked out for any spying eyes.

Noire deserved this time of normal worries and a common happiness. Kei would secretly cheer her on from her spot on the sidelines.

 _(To be continued)_

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

 _"_ Welcome back my little song notes, to this one and only **Hi Five Radio Extra**! The only show with your host 5pb."

 _A few seconds of silence._

"And that's it. Cave is on a special monster extermination mission today, so we're back to the beginning when this was my show hahaha."

 _Whispering._

"And Miss Manager is also here of course. Well it feels a bit lonely, but should we get to today's question right away? Let's see what Chirper has to offer~"

[Has anybody else noticed this lovey-dovey atmosphere between Miss 5pb. and her supervisor?!]

[I totally ship them tbh.]

[Unforgivable!]

[Poor Miss Cave. It will be hard to make Lady 5pb. notice.]

"Huh? S-some lovely conversations are happening I see. Question, question…"

[They don't fit at all.]

[Opposites attract!]

[I want to… see pictures…]

[Miss 5pb. belongs to everyone!]

[The supervisor is also her bodyguard. That's so romantic :3]

"Ehh… You got it wrong. That's not it at all… We aren't like that…"

 _Concerned mumbling._

"No, I can pick the question out myself Miss Manager. Is this why Cave took over…?"

[Listen everyone, what if they are already hooked up and are just hiding it? I can like, totally see that.]

[For real!?]

[I'm jeaaaaloussssss!]

"…"

 _Sound of putting a phone down._

[Hello 5pb. My name is Kei Jinguji and I require your assistance.]

"Oh, a question from Miss Kei! Phew, I thought I wouldn't find one today…"

[The people around me all seem to be falling in love with each other and are starting relationships. I honestly did not expect it from such serious people.]

"W-wow I think I know what you mean."

[I am not very emotional, but it did kickstart some inconvenient thoughts. What if I realize my own feelings all of a sudden, but it is too late? The person I am looking at might already have moved on when I realize these feelings.]

"!"

[Well that is the hypothetical I have been considering recently. It is irrelevant to my duties so I thought of asking you, as you seem to be giving advice on love and everything related. Thank you for your time.]

"Aha.. haha… This isn't actually a show about love advice. It just turns out that a lot of people care about it."

 _20 seconds of silence._

"Right! My advice! Uhm… Do you really think that person would just move on? If your feelings are true, even when it took you some time to realize them… You should at least tell them about it. Otherwise that could stand between you. And nobody likes an awkward friendship, ehehe."

 _Sound of hand being placed on shoulder._

"I'm fine Miss Manager. Sorry if my advice didn't help this time. B-but you said it was just a thought experiment, so let's keep up the good vibrations instead! After this we will play a few cheery songs, how about that everyone~?"

 _Audience clapping track plays._

"Just kidding, there is no studio audience here! Until next time, 5pb. is plugging out~"

 _Fwoop._


	11. Episode 10: The Proposal

**Unfortunate title is** _ **extremely**_ **unfortunate.**

* * *

 **Episode 10: The Proposal **

On the first day after Neptune and Noire had made up their minds to propose to each other things were starting to take a weird turn.

Noire was currently holding an interview with the manager of a music label. The stout middle-aged man was covering up his balding head with a beret and wore sunglasses even inside the interview room. He sat on the couch on the opposite end of the table, looking at her application sheet.

"I read here that you are currently unemployed Miss… 'Onyx Heart'?" He was squinting while looking at her.

"That's correct." Noire smiled stiffly. She wasn't used to being under this much scrutiny. Her disguised adventures during conventions or concerts were usually organized with people that knew her true identity. She was wearing her red framed glasses and her blue wig right now, so she was basically unrecognizable, but it was still stressful.

"You are aware that we can't hire you if we don't know your real name?" He scratched his stubble.

"I… see. Must have slipped my mind during all the excitement." She laughed innocently.

"Your voice sounds really familiar actually. Haven't I seen your face before somewhere…?" His analyzing eyes were penetrating her!

"T-that's probably because I resemble Lady Black Heart a lot! My friends even call me Noire sometimes!" Her smile was shaky.

"You must feel blessed to resemble a goddess." The man leaned back and returned to reading the sheet. Apparently his curiosity was satisfied.

Actually it was really bad for her to look like that goddess right now! If she wanted to start a career right now she couldn't come out as her real self. The people were still not aware of the CPUs resignations. And they would keep quiet about it until Uzume was ready (or at least until it couldn't be postponed anymore).

No matter. For now she felt a strange excitement in her chest. This was different from the other times; right now she was really trying to start a new job! This job interview couldn't be compared to high level market deals or sending voice acting auditions.

Noire was humming a little in anticipation.

"Your bio is lacking in details, but your name is already well known in the underground scene. I happened to have been at one of your performances during a 5pb. concert." He adjusted his sunglasses with his middle finger and returned his gaze on Noire.

"Really?" Noire was positively surprised.

"That's the reason I wanted to interview you. You showed promise up on that stage. All those newbit idols don't even show half as much passion for music as you. It's all about the fame and fanboys. Every new act thinks she can become the next 5pb.! Vain people all around!" He snapped his hand to underline his statement.

"H-how sad." Noire did aspire to become her musical mentor's equal one day as well. But she should probably not mention that now.

"You seem down to earth. The kind of fans someone like you attracts should be the well-mannered and classy type. I'm sick of all these raging Otakus." His tone became even more arrogant and snobby. "Our label wants to create _art_ , not popular trash! Do you have a musician's spirit Onyx Heart?! HM?!"

"Yes sir!" Noire straightened her back and responded loudly.

BANG!

The glass door to the office was thrown open forcefully and someone flamboyantly slid across the floor and into the room.

" _Mai ho~ney_ Noire!" Neptune posed with one hand over her face and another stretched to the side. Her eyes were like sparkling diamonds, but their light was only shining on her target of affection.

"Who is this weirdo and how did she get past my secretary?" The corpulent manager rose from his couch and pointed at the purple haired intruder.

"Will you marry m-orgh!?" Mid-sentence a glass door was forcefully smashed into her face, comically flattening it.

"I'm sorry sir. This is just one of my… fans." Noire apologized with her back turned to the man.

"This freak is? I didn't expect you to have those kinds of followers…" He sounded disappointed.

Noire was facing Neptune through the glass door. Her face was covered in cold sweat and she was glaring at her girlfriend.

"No-wa." Neptune's squashed mouth formed the words again.

In an instant Noire pulled the door open and then smashed it back into Neptune's direction, sending her flying through the hallway.

" _Why right now? Go home already you idiot…_ " Noire mumbled to herself anxiously.

"Does this happen often?" He asked while adjusting his sunglasses with two fingers.

"O-of course not. I've never even seen her before." Noire denied the question strongly.

"So they really do call you 'Noire'. That could get us into trouble with the CPU." He crossed his arms in deep thought.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind! It's not like I _become_ her just because I have the same name." Noire tried to diffuse the bad mood. If necessary she would even write a note of support for herself under her goddess persona. Wait, wasn't Onyx Heart the persona? Her mind was getting so jumbled...

"Fine then let is discuss the terms of your employment." He sat down with a grunt and pulled up a few papers.

Noire sighed in relief. Everything would go fine after all as long as Neptune caught on to how important this was. How did she find her anyway?

Her eyes wandered over the room for a moment and got stuck on the window.

Where Neptune was currently climbing up to with a sign in her hand. Their eyes met. Neptune smiled and then pointed at the sign.

[Will you marry me?]

Noire stopped from reading it as soon as her eyes hit the first syllable of 'marry'. She purposely looked away.

Neptune looked displeased. She fiddled with the handle of the window and started opening it!

"For now you need to write down any previous qualifications you acquired." The manager pointed at the paper in grasp and handed a ball pen to Noire.

Noire grabbed the pen, but her eyes were stuck to Neptune trying to enter the room!

In a panic she took the pen and threw it at Neptune's head.

"NEPPU?!" Neptune's eyes turned to Xs and she fell backwards straight out the window. This was the third floor. Her scream was a lot longer than expected before the usual 'thud'.

"…"

"…"

The manager and Noire exchanged a long look.

"That was my favorite pen." He said dryly.

"My hand slipped teehee~" Noire pushed out her tongue cutely.

"Fufufu… you thought you ended me? You know only bad game sales can do that!" Neptune crawled up the window sill again while talking ominously. She had managed to hold on to the window frame! The sign was the reason for the impact noise.

Noire had been tricked. And now Neptune was already jumping into the office!

"Accidents happen…" The man adjusted his sunglasses with his entire hand. "Then for now just read the section about your commitments and requirement of confidentiality. There are trade secrets we cannot expose and we need you to be compliant with our-"

"NOIRE! BE MY WI-!" Neptune jumped up from behind the manager's couch! In her hand, she held a sparkling beautiful ring!

"AS IF I WOULD JUST LET YOU!" Noire flipped the table into the air and hit Neptune mid-jump.

Unfortunately the table also hit the unsuspecting manager in the face.

"Ka-powie!" Nep exclaimed as she was knocked against the floor and stayed buried below the wooden table.

"….."

"….."

This time the staredown was especially painful.

The manager adjusted his broken sunglasses with both his hands. His beret was flipped onto the couch revealing his balding head plate in all its sparkling shame.

"If you didn't like the terms you could have just said so verbally you kno-"

"I'm sorry! I was so excited I accidentally threw the table! TEE-HEE!"

"That's way beyond a cutesy mistake!" He retorted with a pulsing vein. "I didn't think you would be so violent! There is no refinement in your actions at all! Then there was that lunatic fan… I think I have misjudged you." He growled.

"I'm just having a bad day, this isn't how it usually-"

"That's not an excuse. An idol must always be perfect! For how we act reflects on our music as well. And music is the **absolute** that is not allowed to be tainted… Begone from my sight." He turned away with a raised nose.

Noire quietly stood up and left the room with a shadow covered face.

"What didja say to my girl just now you sheep-shorn background character?" From behind the manager a dreadful monster rose, pushing the broken table off her back like it was nothing.

"Sacrebleu!" His yelp echoed throughout the entire building.

* * *

This was all Neptune's fault!

Noire clenched her fists with dismay. To assault her during an interview. That girl had no common sense! Because of her constant attacks she had to move three times already. Not made better by the fact that she was interfering with her job search.

This was the last straw. It was time to set her final defense into motion. She would call her reinforcements for the sake of her dream!

And once she was finished with all that stuff she would make Neptune submit to her and turn her into a splendid wife!

"Kukuku… Haha… ahahahaha!" Noire laughed with outstretched arms like the final boss in an RPG.

* * *

"She's pretty fast even though I've never seen her sprint even once. Must preserve the image at all costs or whatever." Neptune rubbed her cramped arms. Climbing buildings was a lot more straining than she remembered.

Since the moment she had told Iffy that she was going to wife Noire, she had not once considered resting. She was like a stalker, but one that doesn't hide and just jumps at the person of their affection. A groupie?

"Marry me Onyx Heart~~" She playfully acted out the scene in her head. At first it was funny, but then she suddenly felt a weird oppressive emotion. She kinda didn't want that to happen with other people. Real groupies could be attacking Noire every day off-screen! Her career choice sure was heart-pounding for many reasons.

But then Neptune put both hands on her waist and laughed. As if some faceless non-character could ever get into a risqué scene with Noire. That would be a total failure of a story.

She stopped in the middle of an intersection to look around. Why did she end up here again?

"My tsundere sense is tingling and it tells me she weeeeent that'a way!" Her curved index fingers were imitating antennas that pointed to the secret apartment. A series of lucky guesses had given her the chance to raid Noire's dungeons, but she kept fleeing at the last second. Which left Neptune with no loot, exp or fiancé.

Something about her approach was probably wrong. She just couldn't tell what it was.

"Ungh!" She walked into someone by accident and snapped out of her thoughts. "Fate made our shoulders collide, but our minds keep our fists from doing the same, right?" Nep joked with an apologetic smile.

"It's fine… Neptune." A very quiet voice answered. It belonged to a girl that for all intents and purposes would have passed as either a homeless person or a gravure model. Or both. The state of her clothing was either beyond repairable or nigh non-existent. Wearing that in public was almost a crime.

It was Tekken!

"Hey, if it isn't my favorite arcade punch meister! Are you cruisin' the world in search for new opponents? Wait wrong franchise." Nep crossed her arms and corrected herself.

"Er… actually, yes." Tekken replied with creased brows and raised her fists. She was wearing those red fingerless gloves with spikes on top… everything was legal in a street fight, huh? Wait wrong franch-

"Must be tough being a martial arts gal. You gotta show me a cool combo sometime, but now I gotta scram! Me and this little guy here have an appointment with a flustered maiden." Nep spun the ring on top of her finger and then clasped it in her hand.

"Why don't I show it to you right now?" Tekken replied ominously. Her quiet voice made the statement just more unnerving. Well it would have, if Neptune was paying attention.

"Is it really cool?"

"I hope so." She nodded.

"….alrighty! Just for a little bit." Nep gave her thumbs up and waited expectantly.

"You are really going to wait and watch?" Tekken was flabbergasted.

"Sure?" Nep was completely trusting.

"Ouuuh… that's why I didn't want to do this…" Tekken let her head sink, looking like she was close to tears. "I don't want to deceive you."

"Eh?! You were trying to deceive me?" She was actually shocked.

"Miss Noire asked me to distract you long enough so she can get somewhere you won't find." She admitted it flat out!

"Waaait a minute! So we were gonna have a brawl? Right here? Right on this street?"

"Huh? N-no I didn't intend to fight you… I just wanted to show you a combo that is really long-"

"What do I look like some kind of street fighter to you?"

"No…"

"Since I'm human now my body doesn't take kindly to volcanoes either, so that part is out of the question too."

"I would never throw you into a volcano…."

"The protagonist doesn't run from a fight though. So bring it on! I won't be the one eating knuckle sandwiches today." Especially because these particular ones were sharp like needles.

"Nnngh…!" Tekken pressed her eyes shut unhappily and raised her arms in a defensive stance. "H-hit me until you are satisfied!"

"What now?" Nep lowered her fists while her eyes turned into lines.

"I don't want to hurt my friends… s-so I will just take your beating until you give up." She declared with a serious (albeit almost inaudible) voice.

"It's pretty much obvious to everyone already, but you really are from _that_ side, huh?" Nep lost almost all will to fight on the spot.

"N-not truuuue!" Her defiant yell was not more than a whisper. She hid her blushing face behind her fists.

"Well nothing ventured, nothing unjustly acquired as they say. Here goes nothiiiing…" Her voice lacked any kind of motivation as she very weakly jabbed at Tekken's arms.

"Ahn!" She moaned on impact.

"Nope. This isn't happening." Neptune waved her arm in denial.

"You are sparing me?" Tekken looked up with tear filled eyes.

"I'm sparing myself from awakening to something weird. So let's call it even." She shrugged and patted Tekken's round head.

"But I can't let you pass until you've defeated me. I owe that to Miss Noire." She was in a real dilemma of interests.

Neptune went into her thinking pose for a few moments and then she flicked her fingers. Without a word she suddenly snatched away the fabric belt from Tekken's waist, proving once and for all that those ripped pants were only held up by basic decency and prayers.

"M-my beeelt!" She squealed. No attempt to hold up her pants though. So she knew it was just an accessory.

"Belts are like really important for martial artists. So if I sport this sucker on my hips, even Noire can't deny that I defeated you completely." Neptune winked while wrapping the belt around her shoulder and waist like an old timey military sash.

"Forgive me…" Tekken was already using the standard lines of a defeated fighter.

"Nice battling it out with you! I really need to run now!" She picked up the pace and sprinted off towards the last signal she got from Noire's dishonesty waves.

"Please be careful Neptune. There will be more like me." Tekken called after the purple haired sprinter, but her voice was too quiet to be heard over that distance.

* * *

"Tsk. She got away." Neptune was at a loss. Noire had actually managed to get away in the time it took her to increase her friendship points with Tekken.

But that wasn't a big deal. She already knew Noire's next stop. After breaking i- paying Noire's last apartment _a visit,_ she had taken notes of all her interview locations and coming plans. That was the secret to her pinpointed attacks!

Next was over there…

"Why does this designer brand have a huge garden party?!" Neptune was marveling at the grand opening ceremony in front of the headquarters of the local clothing brand.

It was well visited and the people around here looked like they could afford to buy pretty much any brand product they laid eyes upon. Maybe it was a little too fancy for her tastes, but the snacks were super tasty.

"Gah! Ai shoumnt bwe dwadwing! (Ah I shouldn't be dawdling!)" She swallowed the pastries she had been stuffing her face with and searched for Noire's elusive blue wig.

Just as she was about to give up she saw just the edge of a pigtail move around the corner of a huge hedge. Not wasting time on announcing her find, Nep ran after her. As she turned the corner with outstretched hands, she was shocked to grab nothing. Along the hedge there was a path and to the right she saw the pigtail move the corner again.

No problem. Neptune had trained her legs quite a bit the last few days, she could outrun a cheetah!

 _Whiff!_ When she turned the corner she once again grabbed just cool air. More hedges. This was actually kind of confusing…

"Oh neppers. This is a maze, isn't it?" Predictable scenario, highly effective.

"That's it, nyu." A familiar jaded voice tickled Neptune's ears from above.

She looked up and saw Broccoli sitting on her yellow ball buddy, which was placed on top of the tall hedge. In her hand she held a fishing rod… only the bait wasn't a slimy worm.

"You fell for the oldest trick in the book, nyu. Like a kid." Broccoli looked slightly disappointed as she pulled up the blue wig with her line.

"Puchiko! You tricked me!" Neptune exclaimed dramatically.

"I just said that. And it's Broccoli, not Puchiko."

"How could you? And more importantly, why _would_ you?" Nep pointed at her in confusion.

"…Broccoli owes Lady Noire a favor. So she is going to keep you away." The tiny girl sighed and hopped over the hedge. "Good luck finding the exit, nyu."

"Grrr! Playing with a pure heart is the sign of a spoiled character!" She puffed her cheeks. "Too bad for you that I am actually the maze master." Her eyes glinted.

She traced her steps back. For once she had actually been paying attention which turns she took. The image of the fluttering pigtail was burned into her mind. According to the direction of its flow she would be easily able to find her way back!

"That's one hell of a growth spurt." She commended dryly as she met the former entrance that was now tightly overgrown with vines. She couldn't help but blame this one on the cat-eared girl in hiding.

"Like it would be that easy, nyu." Her voice echoed across the maze.

"Time for the easy solution then." The former CPU shrugged.

Mazes were actually really easy to deal with! She just needed one item to beat all of it.

"Time to slice 'n' dice!" She pulled a sword out of her hammer space and cut straight through the closest hedge. It was slowly turned into a nice salad and behind it shone a bright light of promised freedom!

" _Bzzt_. You chose wrong." Broccoli stood behind the new exit and made a buzzer sound. This wasn't the outside. It was just another path inside the maze.

"Ehhh? But I was so sure this was it." Neptune felt cheated.

"The hedges shift according to my will, nyu. Just be quiet and wait until the party is over." She was lazily resting on Gema and picking her big cat ear with an oversized Q-tip.

"Why you…!" Neptune threw her sword away (it got stuck in some random hedge) and jumped on top of Broccoli.

"Let go, nyuu! I am against violence!"

"I got a violent case of frustrationitis doctor Puchiko, so deal with it!" She grabbed on to the small girl's shoulders and then wrestled the fishing rod out of her grip.

This gave her an idea. She rotated the rod a few times and the threw out the line. It got stuck in a close-by hedge.

"Prepare for take-off." Nep grinned and then used her weight to bounce on Gema a few times.

"This is a bad idea…." Broccoli already knew what was coming next.

Gema bounced on top of the sword stuck into the hedge next to them and then Neptune reeled in the line. Mid-bounce she pulled the three of them across the maze. This was by no means an accurate science or sane for that matter, so they sailed straight into the party grounds behind the maze. In collision course with the fountain.

All hairs on Broccoli's body stood up at the thought of getting splashed into that cold water. In response her eyes turned red and with a ZOOM sound lasers shot from them, straight into the fountain. They vaporized the liquid completely.

Gema hit the dry marble fountain now and bounced with the momentum of a small rocket. Neptune handed the rod to the unprepared Broccoli. She saluted for one last time before they got separated. Broccoli was sent flying back into the maze and Neptune landed on her butt inside the empty fountain.

As a last present for her victory she felt the blue wig fall on top of her head.

Before the water could start flowing again she jumped out of the pond and scanned the environment for any signs of pretty black haired marriage candidates. She spotted a woman that looked extra fancy and important and unintentionally listened in on her conversation.

"Who was that girl? She was wearing a wondrous dress." A mustached gentleman inquired.

"Are you jesting Gerard? That country bumpkin has no sense of fashion! Did you see the amount of frills on her design? 27!"

"Oh how very unfortunate. Not too shabby for an amateur, but no cigar."

"Indeed. If it had been 28 she might have gotten far. I redirected her to one of our subsidiaries."

"Feathers should become popular soon, is it true?"

"Most definitely."

"How perceptive of her then. The feather on the sash was a beautiful detail."

"Are you falling for an amateur's design work?!"

"No milady, your dresses are the only ones I would wear."

"You better not lie to me. I will make sure to test that devotion of yours… in private." She gave him the bedroom eyes.

So Noire was rejected by those snobs. Neptune felt bad for her, but on the other hand… It was _those_ people. Clearly she would be better off making cosplay for people who appreciated it.

Noire's departure put her into a tough spot though. There were no more appointments today and Neptune hadn't sniffed out her new hiding place yet. In other words, she was forced to wait until the next event tomorrow.

* * *

In the following days Neptune was forced to face many old friends in mortal combat (not really). To pass by them she stepped over many corpses, but was always one step shy of grasping Noire's hand.

These harsh battles had changed her. At this point she was almost unrecognizable. It was as if she was a different person.

"Who is this new DLC character!?" She yelled in shock while looking at her reflection in some shopping window.

Neptune was wearing the sash from Tekken, the blue wig from Puchiko, the crown from Million Arthur, the boots she took from an overheating Nepgya, the blue jacket that Falcom handed to her after they had a fishing contest and finally the oversized bracelet from God Eater after defeating Abbadon in an eating contest.

This assortment of items had turned her into a new person. She wondered if Noire would even recognize her at this point…

Also what were those fights about anyway? None of her opponents were actually trying to stop her in a conventional way. At some point she might have even just been fooling around.

"Does everyone in Gamindustri owe Nowa a favor or what?" Her list of henchwomen seemed unending. As long as she kept throwing people at her, Neptune was unable to close in.

Maybe that was the answer! She was always fighting them in their domain. She was helpless in their traps, their distance. There must have been other ways to make Noire listen to her proposal.

She looked up into the sky for any clue and was rewarded with a _grand_ idea.

* * *

Noire sacked down on a chair inside the dressing room. She was completely beat. Right now she could probably not sing another note.

For the sake of getting scouted she held a concert today. The attending audience actually exceeded five thousand! That was a lot for an underground act like her as the main event. She was confident that this was her best performance yet. This time certainly…

"That was so wonderful! You sang perfectly and your dance moves were beautiful!" K-sha came in with a huge smile and more energy than a nuclear battery. She always came to Noire's concerts, no matter what time or day it happened.

"Obviously, it was _my_ concert." She replied more confidently than she felt.

"I will preserve this forever." K-sha said with a flushed face while looking at her camera. Her pupils were actually shaking in excitement.

Noire laughed dryly at her friend's exaggerated gestures. She had expected something to go wrong again, but this time everything seemed to have worked out fine. There had been no sign of Neptune either.

Maybe she had finally given up?

"Oh my. You need to look at this Noire." K-sha said with a mildly curious voice.

Noire cursed herself for setting up those punchlines every time.

With a disgruntled and wary expression she looked at K-sha's camera recordings. In the background of the stage she could see something slowly creeping into the scene. Above the open air concert stage…

"Is that real?" She asked with a shaking lip.

"I'm afraid so." K-sha nodded.

"She has lost her mind." Noire buried her face in her hands.

"Miss Neptune is really amazing." K-sha praised her wholeheartedly.

"Please… I don't care how, just please stop this." She threw all her pride away and begged of the high school girl earnestly.

K-sha was moved by Noire's trust in her. Her heart wanted to explode!

"I think you should give Miss Neptune a chance, but… I can't refuse a request from Noire." She said with determination.

"…thanks." That was the face of someone who was feeling guilty.

* * *

Neptune was enjoying the view from up here. She had even been able to watch the end of the concert like this. Noire was really mesmerizing when she was on stage. Maybe they could sing together again next time.

For now she would be focusing on forcing her girlfriend to accept her proposal though!

She stood up from her seat and grabbed the controls of the zeppelin. With today's technology the entire blimp could be controlled by just one person. The modern world sure was convenient to those who had money!

"Nep-Nep away!" She sang as she turned the steering wheel. It was completely unnecessary, but it felt way better than pressing a button.

Buying this thing was the best idea she ever had. It actually put a dent into her ridiculous mountain of credits that she had gained from her quests a week back, but if this was the final piece to make Noire hers then it would be worth every penny.

It was time to sent the message.

[Yo, can you read this Noire?]

The display on the side of the blimp was showing a glowing red message. K-sha watched it with amusement.

[Doesn't really matter. Everybody else can see it, so you can't run!]

So that was her angle? K-sha folded her hands and smiled. That was a good plan. Noire would be forced to acknowledge it this way. It never had to be done in person or vocally. Although with Miss Neptune's radius she could probably get down here relatively fast after showing off the message to corner Noire even more.

"I'm sorry Miss Neptune. I support you wholeheartedly." She stretched her arms and then crouched down on the rooftop of the concert hall.

[Here I go then! Take my feelings straight from the skies!]

"I just support Noire a teeny bit more." She chuckled.

It was a mistake to put this much build-up into her proposal. Had she just displayed it immediately during the concert, Noire would have been unable to react in time. Even now she was still making a big deal out of it. Too bad.

K-sha aimed her sniper-rifle above with veteran movements.

[Noire, will you marry-]

The bullet hit the sign with perfect precision. The crack was big enough to destroy the entire last word of the display. Sparks were flying out of it.

With that she would have to give up.

But while looking through her scope she noticed something odd. A rolled up cloth was fastened to the side of the blimp. What was that?

And then she could see a tiny silhouette climb out the window at the front of the zeppelin. She was wearing all kinds of odd accessories, but K-sha recognized her as Neptune anyway.

She raised something that reflected the sunlight and blinded her… then the rope was cut and the banner rolled open in the wind.

"That was your plan B?!" She was surprised. The banner was overlapping with the electric display and spelled out the same message. Once it was rolled open completely there was nothing K-sha could do to prevent it from spreading the message across the area.

Almost instinctively she inserted a new bullet into her weapon. This was a bad idea… but she had promised Noire. _She promised_.

The trigger was pulled only roughly 0.7 seconds after the rope was cut. That was how fast K-sha's reaction time was. There was no way she could shoot the banner off and unlike the display; a single bullet wouldn't create enough damage to destroy the words.

In which case…

 **The banner went up in flames.**

The silhouette hanging out the window panicked and went back inside. This was Miss Neptune's loss.

Using incendiary rounds was dangerous when shooting at a blimp, but it seemed to have gone off without a hitch. K-sha released the air from her lungs. She had kept her breath in for the entire duration of aiming.

"I knew you would appear in front of me eventually K-sharpshooter! Don't think I'm done just yet! The protagonist rises as many times as the plot demands it!" An extremely loud voice echoed across the entire empty concert area.

"Speakers?" She had underestimated Miss Neptune. Because of her initial approach she had assumed it was all about text. A cornered animal was the most dangerous. Especially a fox.

"Try to shoot my voice or whatever, but I'm going to say it now. Listen up Noire, I know you're somewhere down there!"

This was a real problem. She was right that K-sha couldn't shoot down sound waves. And there was no way she would shoot Miss Neptune…

"!" Of course she couldn't shoot her with live ammunition, but what about rubber rounds? She reloaded the rifle and gulped. This was a ridiculous trick shot. She could barely look into the control room's window. In fact she did only see the edge of the megaphone the purple haired girl used.

It had to hit. It just had to.

Her turquoise eye became more focused.

"I'm sorry." She said as she pulled the trigger. Would she really make a habit out of apologizing when shooting at Miss Neptune?

The rubber bullet broke the window and entered the control room. She could only imagine how it hit the megaphone or bounced off the walls. The sound coming from the speakers was pretty self-explanatory.

"Ouch! Ungh… what the nep is going onnnn-?!"

So she had missed the megaphone… K-sha pulled up her sniper-rifle again. Maybe she had enough time for another shot-

 _Swoosh!_

The blimp turned sharply and lost altitude.

"Eh?" K-sha watched it while a single sweat drop ran down her face. The wind moved it down her cheek and made it drop on top of her trigger finger.

That blimp sure was descending fast.

And on fire.

"This is probably a bad time to say this, but how do you repair a flight control system?" Neptune's voice rang across the empty field below. "Also is it just me or does it smell like a factory furnace in here? I heard Lastation's air pollution was bad, but this is-"

BOOM!

The blimp was REALLY on fire now.

"I messed up." K-sha said with a gulp. Hopefully Noire was already out of the building, because the impact wouldn't be pretty.

"Ooooohh this is hoooot! Geh, I can't give up tho! Noire, it's me, your slightly roasted girlfriend! If you are hearing this, well for one, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! And secondly, if I survive this, will you marry-"

BOOM!

More explosions shook the zeppelin.

"Stop it already Miss Neptune!" She was really worried now. But even more than that, she was forced to shut her up! Some sort of fire had also taken hold of K-sha's heart. If this was the ex-CPUs determination, then she had to face it head on!

"-that was loud, woah. As I said, please marry-!" Neptune fell silent as she dodged another rubber bullet.

K-sha kept shooting. The control room was now facing her directly, so her aim was way more accurate. She just needed to keep Miss Neptune busy until she finally jumped out of the blimp. If it descended much further she would be forced to eject!

"You got no chill!" Neptune complained as she ducked under another rubber round.

The huge blimp was coming down straight for the plaza in front of the stage. If the audience had still been here this really would have turned out ugly. Now it would just cause tons of property damage. It was sobering to consider that a positive.

Bang!

She hit the megaphone out of the crazy girl's hands. Maybe it was already too late now. The flying vehicle would crash soon.

" **Noire!"**

"Goodness…" K-sha's eyes widened. The voice that reached her ears was entirely natural. No amplifier needed. She was actually yelling loud enough to be heard from this distance?!

" **No, K-shady!"** She changed who she was addressing.

K-sha pulled her scope upwards to look at Miss Neptune, but she couldn't see her anywhere.

" **I will admit defeat! Just this once you've beaten my plans!"**

Nowhere to be found! The control room was empty. The zeppelin was already falling apart and burning rubble showered the earth.

" **BUT! Even if you defeat my plans, you will never defeat** _ **me**_ **!"**

'Where is she? Where is that voice coming from?' K-sha was panicked. No matter where she looked with her scope there was just no hint of… Her pupils shrank and she pulled her rifle away.

The second she looked ahead with her own sight she met with Neptune's rapidly incoming face.

"Surprise landing: Neptune style!" The smaller girl yelled and crashed straight into the sniper.

Their heads collided so hard that K-sha almost passed out! This was even worse than during their fight over Noire a while back.

And the momentum took them further, making them roll all over the rooftop while the blimp exploded in the background, sending a shockwave to blow them away additionally.

When they finally stopped spinning and shaking neither got up.

"We… cough… need to stop facing off over Noire… we always end up battered like one of Tekken's punching bags." Neptune said while looking at the blue sky. A smoke cloud was rising across it.

"Yesh…" K-sha was lying face down and agreed all too emphatically. Both of them were covered in bruises and soot.

* * *

 _Doo-bi-doo-bi-dee-doo._

"Hello and welcome back to **Hi Five Radio Extra**. With your hosts 5pb. and…"

"Cave." Cave added curtly.

"You are finally back." The idol said with a mix of joy and something else. She was leaning on her fluffy chair with some reservation.

"Is there something amiss?" Cave asked her co-host over the mic.

"How did that mission go? I heard those monsters were really tough." The blue-haired girl evaded.

"I only gave support to the real extermination party. They dealt with the threat swiftly."

"You didn't get hurt… right?"

"I assure you everything is as it should be." The red-head looked at her softly.

"That's a relief. I was a bit worried!"

"The same goes for me."

"You were worried as well?" 5pb. looked at her in surprise.

"Indeed. Just what kind of answer would everyone's idol give to the questions while I was not around?" Cave raised a finger while explaining.

"Hey! You are teasing me again!" She pouted in response.

"Haha." Cave in fact did just chuckle. Both 5pb. and Miss Manager stared at her as if she was an alien. Cave averted her gaze.

"Cave, did you know about this stuff on Chirper? T-the things people say about… uhm… us?" The songstress tapped her fingers together and finally gathered the courage to mention it.

"This is not the appropriate venue to discuss-"

"So you still hide things from me." 5pb. interrupted her with a sad expression.

"…!" Cave's mouth twitched. She appeared to be troubled by her reaction.

"…about those comments. What do you think-"

"Tata-ra-ta! Time for a surprise special guest!" Suddenly Neptune burst through the studio door with a triumphant smile.

"Lady Neptune?!" 5pb.'s eyes turned into sound spikes from shock.

"The one and only! Sorry for hijacking the flirt-sesh, but I got something to announce and you've got the mic that reaches _her_ ears." She sauntered over to the desk and set down next to 5pb.

"Errhm… but… I mean…" Thrown off the normal course of the show, the idol had no way to recover. She was still bad with some social interaction even now.

"Don't worry, it's just for a bit~" Neptune calmed her down with a pat on the back. "What's up people on the other side of the speaker? Everyone's favorite protagonist has something to say as well. This time I ask the question to the one person who has been avoiding it this entire time." She had pulled over one of the microphones and started talking as if it was her birthright.

"Awawa… We have been taken over Cave." 5pb. watched Neptune with a wry smile. "This is somehow exiting, huh?" She turned to Cave who had been silent since Neptune appeared.

She was looking at her phone.

"So to that special someone out there, I know you are listening, because you always listen to this show. You're a fangirl and I think that's cute. Uh… I mean listen up! You know we need to propose eventually. So I'm just gonna do it with everyone in the world listening. That way you know, we fulfill that bet and get it over with in one fell swoop."

"Haaah? Lady Neptune is going to propose?! _Live on our show?_ " She squealed in excitement.

"You betcha! Here I go: Noire, because I can't imagine being with anyone but you for the rest of my life and because I want to…. I ask you, will you marry me?!" She yelled with all her might. This message would cross the world and finally reach the one she loved, no matter what!

She had poured all her emotions into that mic, so it must have worked!

That mic.

That…. Mic…?

Her eyes looked at the wrangled and twisted microphone. It sure didn't look like it could still transfer words, let alone sound waves anywhere.

"I should have known. So you are the last General." Neptune looked up with sharp eyes.

Cave lowered her white gloved hands that had so cruelly destroyed the mic. Her green eyes looked down on Neptune with a neutral glow.

"I owe Lady Noire a favor." She said simply.

"Where did I hear that line before?" Neptune's smile twisted.

"Wha-? Cave, how could you! That was so mean!" 5pb. was devastated.

"Please do not interfere. This is between me and Lady Neptune." Cave acted as unaffected as she could muster.

"Whoops!" Neptune swiftly grabbed another mic and put it to her mouth.

 _Fwish!_

Cave's hand moved like a deadly snake and crushed the mic in Neptune's hands.

"S-stop! Stop destroying our equipment! Miss Manager will cry!" 5pb. jumped at Cave and held her back with her weak arms.

"Ngh…" The usually cool girl was now starting to crumble.

"Nice assist Beeps!" Neptune used that opening to grab hold of the third and last mic standing on the desk. It was the one 5pb. had used and it had a nice blue pattern with a speaker formed like a note.

Cave was in a bad spot. She could not shake 5pb. off without being rough. So instead she dragged herself towards Neptune while carrying her!

"Scary…" Neptune was stunned for a moment just by her penetrating glare. "W-woah! So as I was transmissioning to your ears! Noire, if you love me at all…"

"I have to break you." Cave said cold as ice.

Neptune froze up completely in fear.

Cave grabbed the mic out of her hands.

"This thing that is." She added with a normal aura.

"Are you sure?! Because that was one heck of a villainous line!" Nep wiped her cold sweat. Seeing the mic in Cave's hands she had basically lost. She was just gonna snap it-

"Cave no! Please… not that one…" 5pb. (who was still hanging on to Cave's back) suddenly whimpered. She was… crying.

The red-head stopped any movement and cramped up.

"You… you gave it to me… As a present. R-remember? I was so happy… You wouldn't just… break something so important….right?" Her words were more begging than certain.

"…." Cave's face contorted. Clearly she was at her limit as well.

"My chance!" Nep left her paralysis and aimed for the mic.

"Please…"

"!" Neptune stopped her hands.

"I beg of you Lady Neptune." It was Cave who was pleading. "Do not make me hurt her feelings." She was still holding the mic in a tight grip. If she applied any pressure it would snap. Right now Cave was split between her duty to Noire and her feelings for 5pb.

Neptune looked at them with realization.

"You're right." Neptune stumbled backwards. Her legs had no sensation. "What am I even doing?"

"Thank you." Cave's shaking hands set the microphone down.

 _Vrrrm._

Cave's cell phone vibrated once more. She uneasily picked it up and read the message. Then she pointed the screen towards Neptune.

[Let's settle this at that place. Just the two of us.]

Noire had heard every word said here. She must have felt the same way as Neptune.

"We're pretty dumb. Sorry for getting you mixed up in this." Neptune acted chipper and moved out of the studio with a smile, but she was walking rather stiffly.

"Yes, I knew about what the people were saying. And no, it does not bother me. My feelings are clear no matter what anyone has to say." Cave suddenly answered the question that the songstress had asked her at the beginning. She tenderly put her down on the chair where the sobbing girl could rest. "The strongest feeling I have is that I do never want to see you cry." She added with a pained expression.

The atmosphere had calmed down, but nothing seemed right.

"A question has been answered. Our work here is done. 5pb. is plugging out." She sat down next to 5pb. while music played.

"I… I'm fine already. Sorry for crying. I'm still such a baby." She wiped her face on a handkerchief and smiled while apologizing.

"The way you express your emotions so freely…. It is what I adore about you." Cave said quietly.

"Wha-?!" Her heart skipped a beat.

"I wanted to speak my mind as well it seems." Cave turned away and covered her mouth with one hand. Was she… flustered?

The Manager was standing in the back with a look that was stuck between a migraine and mental burnout. 'Every day with this show.' One could almost hear her say it.

 _(To be continued)_


	12. Episode 11: Ram

**And now for something completely different.**

 **Wait. I made that reference in the last story already. Crap.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 11: Ram**

It was snowing in the streets of Lowee. Snowflakes were towering on top of each other to form intricate networks of frozen water, but from the outside it simply appeared as a white mass. Each time a person's boots crunched through the white blanket, countless beautiful constructs were smashed forever.

On a more visible level another construct was demolished mercilessly as well.

"Incoming!" A young boy jumped behind his makeshift snow wall and barely escaped the volley of snowballs aimed at his face. As an attest to the ferocity of the attack his red bobcap that had been peeking over the cover of the frozen wall was shot down.

"Hahaha! You can't run from us!" Ram yelled from the top of a mountain of snow that she had created as her platform of subjugation. Every time she ran out of ammunition Rom handed her freshly made snowballs.

"They are way too strong Popo!" Another boy was crawling on the cold ground in fear.

"Don't be crying like a girl Nana! These stupid twins are going down today." The boy named Popo picked up his wet bobcap and wrung it out.

"H-how are we going to do that?" The scared kid wearing sports glasses was looking up to his partner in awe.

"We'll just do it somehow!" He replied with determination, but no plan to speak of.

"If you don't come out I'll come to you!" Ram yelled over the wall.

"Eeeek… t-the pink Empress is going to beat us up." The scared kid was shivering. And it wasn't because of the cold. "She already smashed all of our friends."

"I will avenge them. With this super compressed mega ball." Popo held up a incredibly tightly pressed snowball. It was almost just a clump of ice at this point. If that hit someone in the face it would really hurt. Like a rock or something.

"I-isn't that a little mean? They are girls…"

"Those aren't girls! They are _monsters._ And we are the heroes! So get up Nana!" He pulled his cowering friend to his feet and pushed a pile of snow into his hands. "I'm gonna distract her, so you take out Rom!"

"Eh? B-but you will get beaten if you go out there-"

"I believe in you!" He didn't listen to his friend's doubts and jumped over the wall straight into the jaws of death.

"He came out Rom! He really did!" Ram was delighted and laughed.

"I'll take you on, you creepy ice-demons!" The boy shouted up the insurmountable hill.

"Hey, that's rude! Apologize to Rom!" Ram stomped her boot on the flattened snow and pointed at the rude boy.

"Bleeh! Come and make me!" He stretched out his tongue and started to sprint around the hill.

"Gaaah… You asked for it! Take my infinite flurry!" She grabbed two snowballs from the prepared piles next to her and started firing away like a gattling gun.

"Woah! Crap…" Popo barely managed to dodge the incoming volley by jumping ahead and sliding over the icy ground. His puffy gloves barely created enough resistance to slow him down, so he crashed into another pile of snow. Ram laughed at his goofy pose.

"I'm scared… I'm scared… it's cold…" Nana crawled across the opposite end of the hill. Each time he looked over the battlefield he saw defeated kids buried in piles of snow. The victims of a one-sided skirmish. His glasses were foggy from his body heat clashing with the low temperatures, making things even harder for him.

'Is this the right way?' He wondered as he started climbing up to the twins. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have found the courage to do something scary like this. But when Popo said that he believed in him… He gulped and moved a little further. Behind the mosty glasses he could see a blue and pink blur. That must have been the CPU twins. He grasped the snowball in his hands.

He stood up and held the weapon over his snow covered head. Despite everything he could not aim at them if he couldn't see them. With his free hand he wiped his glasses in- and outside. When they were clear again he realized that he had already been spotted.

Rom was looking at him. Ram was focused on making fun of Popo, but the quieter sister was not as inattentive. She had probably noticed him ever since he crawled out of hiding. How stupid he was to think that he could sneak up on anyone.

But he had to try anyway! Popo was counting on him. His defeated friends were probably getting cold, pretending to be dead for so long. If he didn't take down at least one of them, how could he face his best friend? He stretched back his throwing arm and moved it forward.

Rom smiled. She was just cutely sitting there with a happy smile, not even attempting to warn her sister. Why was she just accepting his weak courage like that?

His heart was racing and he felt his arm getting weak. He couldn't look at Rom at all! His face was hot enough to make his glasses foggy again and he let go of his snowball. The blue clad girl tilted her head in surprise.

"Do it now Nana! Hit them just like that!" Suddenly Popo's voice echoed across the hill.

"What? Who is he talking to?" Ram spun around after that command and noticed Nana standing completely frozen in place. "He snuck up on us?!"

"Sorry for lying to you." Suddenly they heard Popo's voice closing in. "Actually you were the distraction Nana! DORYA!" Just as Ram turned back to the soul filled voice she was hit against the head by a compressed super ball!

"Ouch!" She yelped in pain and stumbled back.

"Haha… Ha! I actually did it! I got the demon boss!" The boy was more surprised than the twins about his victory. Now only him, Nana and Rom were left to fight! They could still make it!

"A-are you okay… Ram?" Rom seemed troubled by Ram's injury. She had been hit right across the forehead. There was even a little bit of blood.

"Ooooof course I'm fine! That didn't even hurt!" Ram grinned with moist eyes and an angry expression. She was clearly hurting. "I got you." She added triumphantly.

"What are you talking about?" Popo glared at her. He didn't seem apologetic about hurting her.

"Surprise~" She sang and then a ton of snow buried Popo completely. It had fallen straight off a tree branch that Ram had hit with a ball before the distraction. Then she turned around and focused her merciless eyes on the bespectacled boy.

"I… surrender." He said with raised hands and a guilty expression.

"Victory goes to the Golden Twins!" Ram cheered and pulled up Rom's hand to join in. That team name was something she had picked up from C-sha.

"D-doesn't it hurt a lot?" Rom was still too concerned about her head injury. She gently touched it with her gloved hand. "Let me heal it." Her fingertips started to glow greenly.

"Oww…. I s-said it wasn't a big deal. Don't touch it!" She had grimaced when her forehead was touched and pushed Rom's hand away.

"Ahhh… is it finally over?" One of the defeated warriors raised his head and rubbed his shivering arms.

"You were pretty cool Nana. You snuck up like a secret spy!" One of the kids ran up the hill and patted him on the shoulder.

"Yo, look at Popo. Only his feet are stickin' out." A trio of boys snickered and pointed at the buried Popo.

"I'm totally starving. Mom said we need to be back by noon. It's lunchtime!" Most of the kids got up without any trouble and started to disperse. "We are gonna win next time!" They parted with word of challenge. Rom and Ram waved them goodbye as the unrivaled victors.

Nana stayed behind to dig out the struggling Popo. After resurfacing from the snow he showed them an extremely pissed off expression. He just glared at Ram and turned away while wiping snow off his coat.

"P-Popo… I think you should apologize." Nana whispered into his ear. He felt bad for his friend's actions.

"Shut up! I'm not gonna bow my head to that demon dummy!"

"Who's the dummy here? You got totally buried loser." Ram boasted with an annoyed smile.

"Bullies don't scare me." Popo replied.

"Ram isn't a bully…!" Rom unexpectedly came to her sister's aid.

"Y-yeah, she is right. We went twelve against two. It wasn't a fair battle." Nana tried to diffuse the bad atmosphere.

"It was unfair alright! They just win every time because they are CPUS!" Suddenly Popo shouted at the three of them and ran off.

"Wait!" Nana stretched his arm after him fruitlessly. He turned back for one second and bowed in apology. Then he chased after his friend.

"What's his problem?!" Ram pouted and sat down on the snow while holding her head.

"It really hurts, right?" Rom looked sad.

"Just a bit…" Now that they had turned human even such a small injury was actually painful. She didn't want to show weakness in front of the other kids, but right now she wanted to cry.

"Heavens, is it really you?" Suddenly their ears perked up when a familiar voice called out to them. The twins looked towards the main street and saw…

""MINA!"" They exclaimed in unison and rushed down the hill and jumped right into her arms. Their glomp was so powerful it almost made her topple over. The mature Oracle hugged them back with a warming smile.

"It is so good to see you again Rom, Ram." She was truly happy."I was just about to visit you at the Basilicom actually."

"We don't live there anymore!" Ram shook her head.

"…we are at the guild." Rom pointed towards the direction of Lowee's Hunter Guild.

"Is that so? I didn't expect Blanc to leave so soon." Mina shortly gazed upon the castle in the distance. Then she returned to reality. "I have so many questions for you two…. Oh my. You are bleeding Ram." Mina said with shock and held a hand in front of her mouth. She immediately grabbed Ram's head and inspected the small girl's forehead below the pink and white hat.

"Minaaa… it's just a scratch." Ram was not happy being held in place and examined so closely.

"Even it if is a scratch we need to take care of it immediately. If it got infected or worse, I could never forgive myself." She adjusted her glasses and then patted her pouches around her skirt. They were hidden below her large red mantle, but she always carried essential gear with her. Like a first aid kit. Inside it was a disinfectant as well as band-aids. Both of which were now applied to the unwilling Ram.

"It stings…!" She complained.

"Only for a bit. Please hold still." Mina was resolute like a mother. "There, all better." She smiled after putting the pink bunny bandage on the long haired twin's forehead. "Just how did you get hurt? Did you overdo it with your climbing adventures again?"

"Boo! It's not my fault this time. Some stupid boy threw a rock at me." She crossed her arms and pouted.

"It was a frozen snowball." Rom corrected her and explained the situation to Mina.

"How crude." Mina sniffed in disappointment. "Did you get into fights again?" She was also suspecting them of course.

"We just had a snowball fight." Ram touched the band-aid instinctively.

"Some kids are too wild." The blue haired Oracle sighed. "Have you two been well-behaved while I was gone?" She put her hands on their heads.

"Yes!"

"We were… good."

How believable those claims were Mina wouldn't even try to explore. Children would be children, no matter what. The twins were mostly honest.

"You didn't give Blanc any trouble either?" She added casually.

"…" Suddenly the girls got very quiet.

That reaction surprised Mina. Usually the twins would either have denied it right away or ran away comically while giggling. If neither of those was the case…

"Big sis is always staying in the inn room." Ram said desolately.

"She doesn't… play with us anymore." Rom played with her hands while looking at her feet.

"Those are troubling news." Mina cupper her chin with one hand. From her expression the twins could tell that she was not entirely surprised. "We should try and talk to-"

"HEEEELP! CPUs, please help Popo!" They were interrupted by the desperate cries of a running boy. He had foggy glasses and only a weak presence… It was Nana. When he spotted them he almost tripped over the frozen puddles, but he kept running.

"Please calm yourself young man." Mina held up a hand and stopped Nana from sliding past them on the ice. "What is the matter? What happened with this Popo?" She inquired calmly.

"A… a scary stranger grabbed him after he ran into him by accident. T-then he took him away!" Nana was close to tears.

"A kidnapping?" Mina's eyes got sharper and her mouth curled downwards.

"I… I was so afraid… I didn't stop him… I'm the worst." Now Nana lost his last bit of control and started bawling into Mina's chest.

"Did you see where that scary old man went with him?" Ram asked with a serious expression.

"Eh? H-he took him towards the old warehouse next to the theme park… d-down that street." He pointed the way he came. "He didn't notice me, b-because I was f-frozen behind garbage bin." He admitted ashamedly.

"We should inform the authorities. You were brave for getting help as soon as you could, but you should always go to the police first." Mina rubbed the sobbing boy's head gently.

"B-but… my mommy said the CPUs will come to save you when you are in trouble… s-so I just…"

"!" Ram clenched her fist. Then without a word she sprinted off, right towards the direction Nana had pointed.

"Wait Ram! We should leave this to the police, you two aren't…" Mina called after her worriedly, but she had already disappeared around the corner.

"Ram…!" Seeing her sister take action, Rom followed behind without hesitation.

"Not again." Mina clicked her tongue. She had let them run into a battle in the past and it hadn't turned out well. And now they were human. If only she had brought her staff. "Come young man. We will inform the guards and then follow them, okay?" Her gentle voice calmed they boy enough to quell his tears.

"Mhm!" He nodded.

* * *

Inside the dark warehouse Popo was roughly thrown against a brittle old crate. It fell apart under the boy's light weight. The pain surging through his back wasn't too bad, but he still felt disoriented.

"Ohhh what a haul. Children are the best!" The ragged man that had dragged him here looked strong. He was muscular, but not bulky. His left eye was scared and blind. His hair was spiky and defied gravity. All in all he gave a gruff impression to onlookers.

"Ungh…" Popo rubbed his hurting wrist. The stranger had put an iron grip around it for the entire way. When he tried to call out to someone the other hand had pushed his mouth shut just as roughly.

"But boys are not as good. No, not at all. Girls are cuter. Cute is the best." He was rambling to himself while walking in circles around the old crates. The door they had come through was locked. "A shame, but you will still give me a good ransom, won't you?" His one eye was staring Popo down.

The boy didn't respond. He had nothing to say. Despite being scared to death, he didn't feel like showing this old man any fear. Someone like this scum was just going to be happy if he cried now.

"If only… if only I could have gotten my hands on the CPU candidates. They are cute. Those are the cutest. The pinnacle of moe!" He screamed into the dark hall like a madman.

Popo grit his teeth.

"Those stupid demons are bullies… just like you." He spat out.

A hand instantly had taken hold of his jaw and he was pulled up against a wall with enough force to take his breath away. The man's one-eyed gaze was penetrating and hellish.

"' _Bully'_? How adorable. Maybe… maybe you are my type after all!" He cackled. "Hm, but you insulted my goddesses. Too bad. A shame. What a shame!" He smashed Popo against another crate with enough force to break something.

The kidnapper let go of him again and scratched his spiky head until hair fell out. It was a disturbing sight.

"Ransom money… good. But not good enough. I'll just do it now. Let me do it. I wanna do it? C'mere you little mouse… Just let me…" He trampled over the crates and raised his hands devilishly. "SNAP YOU CUTE NECK!?"

"Ghh…" Popo raised his hurting torso up and rolled to the side right before the strong hands could grab him again. But as a result he received a kick to the stomach instead. "GARGL!" He coughed in pain and held his belly with both hands.

"Resisting… resisting good. Feels much better. Makes me feel alive. You got it little mouse! Hahaha you really are cute-" He raised his arm to smack Popo with full force, but when a weird sound and feeling made him look up. His arm was frozen.

"Get away from him you ugly pedo!" A girlish voice rang throughout the warehouse.

"Ohhhh! Ahhhh! It's it's it's really the pinnacle? Is it Ram? Is it Rom? Please say it's both!" Instead of worrying about his frozen arm he instead spun around and yelled in delight. "Trap, bait, preparation complete. The best for last. Or is it first now?" He cackled again. His functioning eye was spinning around its socket.

"Eww… you are like way too creepy. Even worse than Trick." Ram was disgusted. Popo couldn't see her from where he was lying. Neither could the kidnapper it seemed.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are little mouse." He scratched his head and the smashed his frozen arm against a wall by accident. His balance was off. But the ice crumbled, leaving his arm with gushing wounds.

"Fine!" Ram suddenly jumped at him from above and hit him across the head with her giant staff.

"Gah! What sweet pain!" He didn't even flinch and just grabbed Ram's head out of the air. "So you jumped… jumped into my embrace, yes you did!" He was licking his lips. Not a good sign.

"Shut your face creepo!" Ram kicked him against the shins with all her might. It probably hurt according to his moans, but he didn't move an inch.

"I have known pain. Lots of pain. Wonderful pain! But you are cute. Struggling is cute. Perfect!" He pulled her closer to his happily contorted face.

"Gale!" Ram spun her staff around and they were both pushed up by a stream of wind. The flow was so fast that the kidnapper couldn't react and in a second the hit the roof. The old man's head was crushed into it with full force, while his grip finally loosened on Ram. As she fell downwards, she used more wind magic to stop her fall.

"Ahahaha… it hurts… what a pleasurable sting!" The insane man was pushing his head out of the opening the impact had created. He was stuck for a moment, but then pried himself out.

"Are you okay?" Ram asked over her shoulder. Popo was slowly getting out of the broken crates.

"None of your business." He was even more agitated than the last time they met.

"What's your deal!?" She shouted at him.

"Don't don't, never ever look the other way!" The creepy man suddenly fell straight down to Ram's feet. He should probably have broken something, but he didn't have any reaction. His leg kicked Ram's staff out of her hand with ease. Then his hands closed in again.

"Kh…" Ram's hands felt numb from the kick and without her staff she was not able to cast any spells. Compared to before she was not that strong anymore in the first place, so this was a serious problem. In the last second she ducked under the man's grab and slid away between his legs.

"Swift, sneaky, repeat. But what a shame. What a true shaaam!" He bent his back in an unnatural way and then got a hold of Ram's legs. She tried to resist, but he used his superior strength to pull her up completely. She hung upside down in front of him, completely helpless.

"Why did you get caught stupid!?" Popo cried out behind her in anger. "If you're going to fail, just leave me alone!"

"Run away." Ram retorted.

"What-?"

"Run while he is busy with me!" Ram shouted harshly. With a unexpected swing she head butted the kidnapper with all her force. The band-aid on her forehead flew off and the previous injury began bleeding again.

"!" Popo stared at the long haired girl with shock.

"Nononono! That won't do. You can't injure… can't injure the cute yourself. Unacceptable! First me. I will do what I desire. Then you can hurt. Injure the cute. Give me the ultimate fun." He was speaking in a mix of anger and pleasure. "Cute little girls are the beeeest!"

"You are under arrest for charges of kidnapping and assault." A clear voice echoed through the warehouse. Just like Ram she had appeared from the ceiling. There was a small hole that a kid could climb into easily.

"My ears? YES my earrrrrs! This is the pinnacleeeee!" He exclaimed in joy as he saw Rom above. "Arrest me! Assault me! As I will do the same!"

"Rom!" Ram looked at her sister in fear, but also a hint of relief.

"Ice coffin." Rom jumped downwards and summoned cold ice around the kidnapper's legs, making him unable to move. It should have covered him completely, but she was still not used to controlling her new power cap.

"What splendiiiiiid agony!" He laughed euphorically. He broke out one leg with sheer determination. It was gushing with blood. "Come to me ROM!" He was ready to grab her the second she tried to hit him.

"Do your best Ram!" But the quiet girl raised her staff to boost her sister instead.

"AHHH?" The old man creepily turned his head just in time to notice that Ram's staff was back in her hand. And it was glowing from the boost.

"Go to hell!" Ram yelled and transformed her staff into an ice hammer. The impact of her attack was so strong that it broke the kidnapper's remaining leg out of the ice trap and flipped him over against the ground.

The guy's only remaining eye turned white, showing that he was finally knocked out.

"He will go to a place worse than hell if I have any say in it." Suddenly the locked door was cracked open and a group of guards burst into the dark warehouse. Their leader immediately handcuffed the knocked out kidnapper and ordered the rest to search the place for suspicious stuff. "This man, Korf 'the Violator', escaped prison six weeks ago. He was on every search list across the nations. Good work taking him out Lady Ram, Lady Rom." He bowed his head in appreciation and returned to his duties.

"I will make you all better." This time Rom insisted on using her healing magic. Although it was only weak it certainly helped to lighten their injuries.

"Is everyone alright?" A very anxious Mina pushed herself through the guards and ran over to Ram and Popo. "Don't use cuss words, even as a battle cry." Aaaand she was also still in mom mode.

"It was nothing. Rom and I can take down any old perv!" The long haired twin boasted.

"You liar… you almost got nabbed." Popo said coldly from behind Mina. He didn't bear to look at them directly.

"You're so annoying! Just say thanks and go home!" Ram raised her arms and glared at him.

"…." The boy seemed split.

"Is there a special reason for you animosity towards them?" Mina asked patiently. This wasn't the first time the twins had gotten into a fight with other kids.

"I don't wanna talk about it…" He put his hands into his pockets. "…thanks." He mumbled towards Rom.

"Please tell us. We don't want you to hate us." Rom suddenly requested to know as well. Seeing how she was only nice to him, he could hardly deny her.

"You… beat up my big bro." He confessed.

"Huh?" Ram looked at him doubtfully.

"He is two years older than me. One day he came all beat up and said it was your fault. Since then he has been…. He hasn't been the same. He never goes out anymore. He doesn't do anything cool anymore… I just want my old brother back." He was tearing up. "Mom said we need to respect you, because you will be the next CPUs… But I won't be nice to bullies! Who cares if you are CPUs? You are just demons! Who would want to have you as leaders!?"

The twins were clearly affected by those accusations and especially by the latter half of his monologue.

"Did you two do something bad?" Mina looked at Ram in particular. She didn't even consider that they beat someone up for no reason, but she believed that something happened nonetheless.

"Ah! Is your big bro that dude with the stupid hair? Gelled back?" Realization seemed to dawn on Ram.

"He used to do that with his hair! N-not anymore though…"

"That boy was a bully." Ram said flat out.

"Wha-? Don't lie again you dummy!" He glared at her and clenched his fist.

"I'm not lying. And sop calling me dumb, you stupidhead!" Ram frowned.

"M-my brother a bully? _You_ were the ones who bullied _him_ … he said so…"

"Uhm… he… was really mean to the neighborhood kids. And his friends got violent." Rom interjected. Her word seemed to hold more weight with Popo. "We just wanted to stop them… Your brother got mixed up in the fight. Sorry."

"Don't apologize Rom! That slime-head kept trying to hit us, so we just gave him a good lesson." She was not compromising.

"Violence is not the solution. I haven't taught you to act this way." Mina looked at Ram disappointedly. That hit the ex-CPU candidate much harder than any of the kidnapper's attacks.

"…" Popo stared at Ram for a while. He recalled how she jumped in to save him and even told him to run instead of helping her. That kind of person would definitely come to save others from bullies.

"Popooooo! You are still aliiiive!" Nana came running through the open door and hugged his friend.

"Geh… g-get off of me Nana. You are such a crybaby." He complained as the sobbing boy basically strangled him.

"Thwanks CwPUwS! You're the bweeeest!" Between sobs Nana thanked the twins with all his heart.

"All in a day's work!" Ram made a victory sign with her fingers. She pulled Rom over and made her do the same.

"…sorry for sayin' those mean things to you." Popo whispered with red cheeks and then walked towards the guards who wanted to interrogate him about the case. Nana followed him like a loyal dog.

"While I do not appreciate your rashness…" Mina sighed. "That was a noble thing you did. Good work." She hugged them tightly.

"Mina has gotten way touchier." Ram said with barely any air as she was crushed in her chest.

"Showing appreciation is necessary for a caretaker!" Mina said flustered.

"Mhm." Rom nodded smilingly.

* * *

The trio settled down at a park close to the hunter's guild. The twins needed some relaxation after that scary fight and Mina had to organize some notes connected to what the guards gave her. As the de facto highest authority in Lowee right now (as Uzume was busy training) she had to take care of this as well.

Mina had bought the girls some ice-cream, but when she looked up they still hadn't even touched it. That was more surprising than finding out that Blanc's chest had grown for the first time in years. Which was just a very unlikely scenario, not an actual fact. After all Mina hadn't even met her yet.

"Did I get the wrong flavor?" How peculiar. She had perfectly memorized their favorites long ago. Could they really have changed so fast?

"Mina… I think Popo was right." Ram said with a dejected look.

"About what exactly?" Mina adjusted her glasses. She had a bad premonition.

"We were… bad CPU Candidates." Rom agreed with Ram.

"It's like we only made trouble for Blanc. And we never were good with studying or work." Ram put her ice-cream down on the bench. "Maybe Blanc hates us, because we are at fault for the Shares going away?"

"What?" Mina had honestly not expected this.

"Nobody would believe in us… so now we lost all the faith." Rom explained what they had come up with.

"T-that is really not the case. I am sure Histoire explained the true reasons." Mina waved her arms around.

"I didn't really get what Histy said." Ram admitted with a sunken head. "But if we worked harder Blanc would be much happier. Now she hates us…"

"Did she say that?" Mina asked carefully.

"No…" Rom shook her head.

"Then she doesn't hate you." Mina said confidently.

"Eh?"

"Did your big sister ever hold back when she was angry? Does she really have the capacity to silently hate someone?" Mina creased her brows.

"Big sis usually gets really loud when she is mad." Rom realized.

"She always goes like 'ROOOAR! Come back twerps!' when she explodes." Ram imitated her.

"Exactly. Blanc would never hate you in the first place. Even if she doesn't show it much, she loves you dearly." Mina knew this from the depth of her soul. "She is currently going through hard times. That's probably why she is so… introverted." She needed to have a serious talk with her soon it seemed.

"Is Mina doing… all the work now?" Rom asked hesitantly.

"I get a little help here and there, but the majority of the work has to be done by someone who is familiar with the job. Miss Uzume will certainly be qualified in the near future, but she needs someone to support her anyway." Maybe this was too complex for them, but they deserved to be treated like smart girls.

"So… if we learn the same stuff Uzume does, we can help out?" Ram put fingers to her temples.

"I… I would think so. But do you really want to go that far? It would be fine for you to stay with Blanc and live your life as you please." She reasoned. In fact she didn't want them to be involved now that they were finally free to be normal children.

"If we can become good CPUs, even if we don't have powers, then we can cheer Blanc up!" Ram decided.

"And… we can help Miss Uzume and Miss Nepgear too." Rom added with a cute smile.

"I suppose it has already been decided then?" She had not the heart to reject their earnest wishes and efforts. "It will be tough, but I think you can succeed. I always believed that." As their past tutor it filled her more with pride than anything else.

"Yay! We are going to be the best CPUs around, so that even that stupid Popo can't look down on us!" She excitedly moved her arms and legs, which made her ice-cream fall straight off the bench. "…" Her expression was that of great loss. Like a family member had just died.

"You can have mine." Rom offered to share.

"Roooom!" Ram hugged her sister affectionately, which almost cost the life of another innocent ice-cream.

"I will get some back-up just in case." Mina said with a tilted head. She was talking about ice-cream. Probably.

 _(To be continued)_


	13. Episode 12: Rom & Mina

**Two for the price of one!**

* * *

 **Episode 12: Rom/Mina**

Soon after they had made up their minds in front of Mina, Rom and Ram moved to the Zero dimension with the small amount of luggage from the inn. It was the second time they had moved in a week. Before leaving they were seen off by Blanc, but they parting was incredibly awkward.

Inside the new Basilicom the two soon made themselves at home. They had an easy time integrating in the area with all the monster kids. Rom was also happy to see Nepgear again. They hadn't had much of a chance to talk since she moved here with Uni.

As promised they were now training alongside Uzume to become good CPUs (or at least government officials). Learning was never their strong point, but it was quite enjoyable as long as they were with Uzume and Nepgear. The twins were getting along with the only remaining CPU ever since they had hung out at Planeptune's Summer Festival two months back. The three of them were similar in a lot of ways.

"They are multiplying…" Chika grumbled to herself as she entered the garden where the lesson was taking place today. They had figured out that Uzume was less likely to fall asleep when she was taking lessons in fresh air and daylight.

Now the green haired Oracle was forced to deal with four children instead of one. And to her Uzume and Nepgear absolutely counted as children.

"Miss Chika is glaring~"

"Sooo scary~"

The twins were hiding behind Uzume while pretending to be afraid. In fact they were both smiling though.

"This is why I prefer older sisters!" Chika retorted and slammed her books on a stone podium.

"Hi Chika! This is the first lesson we had, so what're you all about? Kei is drilling economics into me and Mina is going over history, so you gotta be…" Uzume was trying to diffuse the strained atmosphere by appearing eager to learn.

It was true that this was the first time Chika actually got a lesson for them in the last two weeks. Leanbox' Oracle was apparently quite busy with her paperwork and spending time with Ver- _asking_ for the former CPU's _advice_!

"I will discuss general affairs and PR with you." She crossed her arms and sighed. Teaching was not her style.

"What's PR?" Ram asked from behind Uzume.

"Public relations." Nepgear explained to her with a smile. She seemed much more suitable as a teacher.

"Don't those PR people make ads and pull publicity stunts all the time? I saw that in Neppywood documentaries before." Uzume acted quite smug as she was bursting with knowledge.

"Don't believe everything that's being said on TV." Chika shut Uzume down immediately which put a dent into the red-head's confidence. "Public appearances are integral to being a good CPU. You can't show off your nasty or childish side to the people. Always be elegant! Always show the appropriate decorum. Just like my darling Vert!"

"Back to this, huh?" Uzume rubbed her head exhaustedly. She had already been on the receiving end of Chika's rants before.

"Honestly I feel ashamed to work under you. Just look at that outfit!" Chika threw her textbooks away and walked over to the four girls instead. "Showing off skin is a good move, but what is with that hideous tie?" She pulled up Uzume's orange spiral motive tie with her fingertips like it was some dirty old sock.

"I think it looks totally cool." Uzume replied confidently.

"It's not stylish or dignified at all." Chika shut her down in a nano-second. "And these suspenders… are you really a girl?" She coughed and flicked them back. Uzume's right eye twitched from the sting.

"Miss Chika, aren't you a little too harsh on her?" Nepgear tried to intervene.

"As much as I loathe admitting it, that one has at least a feminine grace to her." She pointed her hand at Nepgear and made her simultaneously shut up. "Even these children are displaying the charm of CPUs more than you." She pointed at Rom and Ram behind Uzume's legs.

"Is she trying to compliment or insult us?" Nepgear wondered.

"Uzume is totally grace-y!" Ram countered.

"She's… cute." Rom added.

"Aw shucks you two… but I would prefer if you said I was cool." Uzume was put on the spot and laughed embarrassedly.

"'Cool' won't cut it." Chika squinted her eyes. "Coolness can come from many places. If you are a big sister to all your citizens then they will automatically think you are cool! But how are they supposed to take you seriously with this get-up? You have to put more focus on your chest." She put her hands on Uzume's boobs and squeezed them.

"…" Nepgear's eyes turned white.

"You're getting really touchy-feely, eh?" Not that Uzume seemed to mind. She was rather numb to skinship.

"They are not big enough." She judged.

"So blunt!" Nepgear let her head sink in shock.

"I mean if you compare me to Vertsy or Marvy." She nodded. Uzume wasn't bothered!

"Why are boobies so important?" Ram suddenly interjected with a question that made Nepgear incredibly nervous.

"L-let's not get to weird topics-!"

"A bountiful chest is the main appeal of a goddess!" Chika declared with a clenched fist.

"Ohhh I didn't know that." Uzume wrote it down in her notebook.

"Is that why big sis wants to have big boobies as well?" Ram looked annoyed.

"That Blanc… was weird…" They were probably talking about the time they saw Blanc's dream in the Heart dimension. It majorly creeped them out and that hadn't changed all this time later.

"What's that got to do with being a goddess?" Ram wasn't having it. "I think Uzume has awesome boobs." She stepped in front of her and defended the red-head's chest.

"I think… Miss Nepgear's size is… the best." Rom whispered.

"What was that?" Nepgear hadn't caught her words.

"Hmph, you don't understand even the basics of what makes a great CPU!" Chika was pouting.

"I can't really make them bigger though." Uzume looked up from her notebook and returned them to reality.

"What if you transform? Show me your transformed form." Chika tried to find a solution.

"S-same difference! We don't need to go that far. Gearsy can tell you the same thing." She looked at Nepgear pleadingly.

While the purple haired girl didn't get Uzume's predicament she was still happy to end this topic.

"She is right. There is no difference in size." Nepgear sighed in relief at seeing the end coming.

"Hmm… did you feel her up? You can't be certain otherwise." Chika cupped her chin with one hand.

"I d-didn't!" Nepgear rejected her suggestion with a red face.

"What's the hold up? Get on with it." Chika stood back expectantly.

Even if Uzume was strangely okay with all the touching and even if they had bathed naked together more times than was necessary, Nepgear still had some reservations!

"…it's lunchtime." Uni's voice went through the group like a cold breeze.

Nepgear turned around in surprise and saw the raven haired girl standing at the entrance to the building. How long had she been there?

"How is this possible? Teaching is such a pain. Fine, go nourish yourselves and relax before we continue." Chika sighed and waved them away to leave.

"Wow thanks Chika! You are a pretty cool teacher actually." Uzume grinned and then pulled up the twins on her shoulders. This was already known as the mobile-siege-tower-formation to the people of the Zero Dimension. Nothing could beat the trio this way!

"I need to call my darling right away~" And the true reason Chika was so impatient came to the surface immediately.

They walked towards the exit with different goals in mind, but all of them passed Uni.

"Thanks for the heads up Unisy. We coulda stayed here till evening if you hadn't said anything." Uzume gave her a thumbs up while passing.

"Whatever." Uni didn't return her gesture and looked the other way.

Rom looked back towards her and the approaching Nepgear.

"Uni did you want to join the lesson?" Nepgear asked her optimistically.

"No thanks. I don't feel like getting involved in your groping fun." Uni's reply was so scathing that it could have cut a tree apart.

"That was just one of Miss Chika's jokes." At least she hoped Chika was joking.

"Why are you even here if you don't contribute anything to the lesson?" Uni suddenly said with a dismissive pose.

"W-well I am trying. There are things even I can do for Uzume. And now Rom and Ram are also here to learn, so it's getting really fun." She was still trying to make it appealing to Uni as well.

"I've seen your 'fun'. Makes sense that you can only teach that blockhead through her body though…" Uni remarked sarcastically.

"Hey… don't make fun of Uzume like that." Nepgear's face turned more rigid. She was apparently easily able to take criticism to herself, but when her friends were the ones targeted she became serious.

"Don't act like it's just me. All the Oracles also think she is hopeless." Uni seemed to become more spiteful the harder Nepgear defended Uzume.

"That's not true!"

"Then should we ask Chika, hm?"

"But…"

"Sorry for bothering you. I'll go back to do _actual_ work." Uni shrugged sarcastically and left for the door.

Nepgear was left behind with a confused and sad expression.

"Miss Nepgear." Rom had watched that unfold while Uzume carried them through the door. This wasn't the first time she had noticed the two of them fight. It was usually about unimportant stuff. Small differences suddenly made Uni turn extremely negative and she dragged Nepgear into that mood.

Rom didn't understand. Why were they so mean to each other? Didn't they like each other anymore? She didn't fully understand their relationship, but they said they were together forever, just like she and Ram were. If she had fights like that with Ram all the time she would feel horrible.

* * *

"Alright! The dining room's up ahead. I need to check up with Histy, so go ahead Golden Twins." Uzume sat them down with a grin and waved before leaving like a high-speed train.

"Uzume never eats with us." Ram put her hands on her waist and looked after her with question marks above her head. "Do you think she doesn't like the food here?" She turned towards the contemplative Rom who didn't react to her question right away.

"E-eh? What did you say Ram?" She put her hands together apologetically.

"Everyone's acting super weird, even Rom." She pulled off her pink jacket and threw it over a chair. She was pretty perceptive despite acting so aloof all the time.

"I'm not... weird." Rom mumbled. "Ram, do you think Miss Nepgear and Miss Uni hate each other now?"

"Why? They are totally besties, right?" Ram picked up some of the food from the kitchen that had been prepared. She got two trays - one for each of them.

"But Miss Uni is acting really sad whenever I see her. Like she is hurting." Rom was good at noticing people's moods and feelings, but she couldn't act on those instincts. That's why she turned to Ram. Because Ram always knew what to do.

"This sucks." Ram looked annoyed for some reason. "Nepgear doesn't get it."

"Eh? Miss Nepgear is at fault?" Rom was surprised that Ram would say that.

"I don't know. They're both acting like dummies." Ram stuffed her face with soup.

"Can't we do anything?" Rom clasped her hands together and sat down next to her sister.

Ram gazed at her from the corner of her eyes. Seeing Rom sad was one of the things she couldn't stand. She put her spoon down. One could almost see the gears turning inside her head.

"What do they argue about all the time?"

"Uhm… many things. This morning they were talking about sleeping in different beds." Rom reminisced about the small fight they had earlier before breakfast.

"Huh? That's dumb. Just sleep in the same bed." Ram didn't get it either. The two of them were sleeping in one queen sized bed too. Maybe their bed was too small?

"S-should we trade rooms?" Rom suggested.

"But I like our bed! It's fluffy." The pink twin shook her head. "That's not it. What are they fighting over the most?"

If they could find the core of the discord between them, then the solution would be obvious.

' _Don't make fun of Uzume!'_

Nepgear's words resurfaced in Rom's mind. Now that she thought about it, their cool friend often came up in their fights.

"I think it's about Miss Uzume…" Rom realized.

Ram didn't look surprised. She began shoveling soup into her mouth rapidly and then wiped her mouth hastily. After that she threw her coat back on and stretched her arms.

"Eat up Rom! We are going to tell Uzume!"

"R-really? But wouldn't that be bad…?" Rom widened her little eyes in surprise.

"Hahaha! We're the only ones who can save the day, so don't chicken out now."

"N-no I won't!" Rom nodded and also hurried up with lunch.

* * *

During the next lesson Rom and Ram suddenly grabbed Uzume and pulled her away from both confused looking Kei and Nepgear. It happened so fast that nobody could stop them though.

In a matter of minutes they ran towards a hill inside the ruined city. By the halfway point Uzume just followed along without resistance. She really was easy-going.

"Are we playin' hide and seek?" She asked curiously.

"Nah!" Ram moved over a few old bricks and revealed a tree stump. She sat down on top of it and looked down on Uzume from above like a wrathful goddess. Rom was standing below the stump with a nervous expression.

"Are we building a secret base?" Uzume was excited. That was so cool!

"Nope! We're here to judge you, evil-doer!" Ram declared while pointing at the red-head.

"I'm the villain again?!" Uzume still thought they were playing around. She really was the villain most of the time they played pretend. She also sucked at it royally.

"You dummy… We are talking about how you hurt Nepgear and Uni." Ram got fed up with Uzume's clueless act.

"Gearsy and Unisy?" Uzume realized they weren't just playing anymore.

"Er… T-they are fighting a lot… because of you." Rom said meekly.

"They are?" Uzume did not know about it. "I'm so busy recently I totally didn't realize." Hearing the news made her feel terrible. "Is that why Unisy has been avoiding me?"

"I dunno what happened!" Ram kicked the tree stump with one leg. "But it's dumb! Make it stop you slowpoke!"

"But I don't even know what's going on-?" Uzume backed away from the accusing glare above.

"It like, doesn't even matter why. If Rom was arguing with me like that it would make me feel all horrible and sad." She seemed to be mulling something over for a while. Uzume didn't dare interject until she had resolved her inner turmoil.

In the distance Rom noticed the distinct purple hair of Nepgear, alongside Kei's silver streak. They were searching for them.

"I really, really, really don't get it, but…" Ram twisted her mouth. "I know what it's like to be jealous of someone. One time I thought Nepgear was going to take away Rom from me." To both girls' surprise Ram openly talked about something really personal.

Rom remembered that time. She didn't know how Ram felt about the situation and had hurt her by accident. Even though nobody was at fault, the sisters had been in such a sad conflict.

Then did that mean…? Did Ram think this was the same?

"It's a mistake. Uni probably doesn't want to feel that way about it either. Just talk some sense into them." Just like Nepgear did for her.

"Got it. You two are pretty amazing though. You notice other's problems so fast. Makes me feel a little envious actually." Uzume looked at them in awe. Perhaps she saw something she was lacking in them. Something that every CPU should have.

"Roooom! Raaaaam! Where are you?" Nepgear called out to them from far away.

"Let's hide!" Ram said with an outstretched tongue. There was no reason to run away anymore, but now that they already skipped lessons…

"I know a nice spot. Follow me!" Uzume winked and jumped over a broken wall. The twins followed behind her unquestioningly.

Maybe by solving their friends' troubles they were one step closer to becoming better CPUs that could solve the citizen's troubles as well.

* * *

Mina walked through the busy streets of Lowee while bracing against the cold breeze.

So much time had passed and the twins had even joined them in the Zero dimension. She wasn't quite sure whether her lessons contributed anything to Uzume's or their growth. All she could do was give them her knowledge accumulated from studying Lowee's abundant historical documents and libraries. No nation in the world had as many records of the past as them. Quite a few hints towards previous eras and their struggles were protected here.

That was all Mina had. Knowledge.

When she left her position and set out for her journey, she had done so to improve herself. But unlike Kei or Chika, she had a very different blemish upon her soul.

She liked children too much.

Yes, that sounded quite dire at first, but it wasn't about sexual attraction. It was more like a crushing motherly instinct. It was too much. She just loved them. They were too cute and she wanted to stay close to them all the time.

It really isn't what you think.

The point was that Mina felt impure for thinking that way. Whenever Rom and Ram came to her she felt like she was staring too much. Appreciating their cuteness too much.

If Blanc had known about this Mina would certainly have received a harsh scolding. Or way worse.

So in the name of becoming a better person, she had traveled to a land filled with child-like people. Their tribes were excessively cute t the point where it would burn someone like Mina out in merely a day. Instead she had spent several months there!

The result was that she became resistant to children's cuteness. At least that's what she had thought… But the moment the twins had jumped at her and hugged her she felt it well back up in an instant!

"Why am I like this?" Mina slouched over so much her glasses almost fell off her nose.

That aside she was glad to see them healthy and eager to learn. She had expected much worse of a reaction towards turning human. But Rom and Ram took it way better than their sister. Perhaps to them it wasn't a big change. They were always honest about their feelings. Unlike the adults around them.

Now Rom and Ram would grow up… why was that making her feel depressed?! Spirit be cleansed!

Her mind wandered to Uzume instead. In her eyes this earnest girl was a wonderful trainee CPU. She reminded Mina a lot of the Candidates actually. Always trying to become better and to catch up to their sisters. Only Uzume needed to catch up to all four of them by herself.

The political consequences after the reveal would be staggering. Although Lowee was so used to being almost toppled, usurped or taken over by now that the citizens would just treat this as another yearly event.

So leaving all that aside, there was only one thing left on her list. _Blanc_.

* * *

The guild house was open, but currently there was a lack of adventurers inside the warm inn. Most of them were out hunting. If her reports were accurate there was a weird increase in monster attacks all across the nation. They acted mad, like animals right before a natural disaster. Hunters were more wanted than ever to take care of the wild attacks.

Mina talked to the innkeeper who was definitely staring at her chest the entire time, but then pointed her up to the next floor. She thanked him and made her way to the closed door. Now that she was so close to meeting her again, she felt profoundly nervous. Just what would she find in here?

After knocking a few times and announcing herself she entered the sparsely lit room.

Sitting on a comfy armchair with a book in her hands was none other than Blanc. Yes, this was the Blanc she knew. Always reading in her spare time. Of which she had a lot now.

The short-haired girl looked up from her reading and showed off her blue framed glasses while she was at it. They were a different model from Mina's, but the sight itself was bizarre.

"Hello Mina… Come inside." She said in a quiet voice and pointed her to sit down on the bed. If she was surprised to see her former Oracle, she was good at hiding it.

"I see you are not short on books." Mina looked at the mountain of reading material next to Blanc's armchair. Half the room was filled with these thick tomes and novels.

"Financier brought my collection over a few days ago." Blanc explained while flipping a page.

"I see. I made her acquaintance while visiting the Basilicom. A wonderful maid."

"People keep saying that, but she isn't as perfect as she looks." Blanc grumbled.

"Who of us truly could be?" Mina said jokingly. "I am surprised to see you wear glasses." She couldn't hide her curiosity. "Are your eyes hurting because you are reading in this dark room?" She was also going to lecture her subtly for ruining her eyes in this shady room.

"My eyes are fine…" Blanc shook her head. "It's just in preparation. Human eyes go bad fast when they read a lot." Her caution was somehow misplaced.

"Not if the lighting conditions are good." Mina pointed out. She wasn't sure if she should tell Blanc that one could not 'preemptively' wear glasses either. That would make her eyes worse much faster. "Have you been… staying in here this entire time?" She asked carefully.

Due to the twin's stories she was already sure that that was the case, but there was no reason for Blanc to know that. Ram was really adamant about it too, saying that not even 'C-sha' had managed to drag her out of this hole. Mina hadn't met this C-sha yet, but she seemed to be close to Blanc.

Additionally she had gotten wind of the bet and the necessity of finding a partner to propose to. This should probably have come as an equally big shock to Blanc. Yet somehow Mina couldn't believe that she would become this way because of something like that. Unless something bad had happened that conflated with that duty.

Seeing Blanc this depressed was a shock. Even if she had lost her life's purpose (more or less), she had not expected Blanc to just hole herself up like a shut-in.

At least not this fast.

"On my travels I have read some interesting books myself. Would you accept some of my recommendations?" She made a few suggestions.

"Good timing, I finished my collection for the third time just now. It's getting a bit stale." Blanc carefully put her novel down.

"I see." Mina felt her face covered in sweat. This huge amount of books… _three times_?

"C-sha shoved this stupid thing into my hands, but I couldn't even get past the first ten pages." Blanc pulled up a golden book from the rack behind her.

 **[Making it BIG – A General's Guide to Success]**

Was the title. In the corner Mina noticed a tiny picture to a golden robot head. She flipped the book (which actually blinded her with how golden it was) over and read the author's name on the back. 'Affimojas'.

When she flipped the first page open some kind of pamphlet fell out.

 **[10 steps to not be a creepy ninja – by a creepy ninja]**

The thin pamphlet was an advertisement for an upcoming life manual that would be sold separately. It was specifically aimed at ninjas only. Talk about knowing your audience. This time there was no author revealed.

"Are these works popular these days?" Mina asked with a raised brow.

"Heck if I know. She was just trying to annoy me. Scheming traitor knows I don't have anything to read, so she gives me this terrible book to force me to read it." Blanc was revealing a scheme much too cruel to be devised by a human being!

"Perhaps this guide is more useful than we can fathom?"

"Not likely. That oversized golden soda can asked me to write his biography for him. That was his prototype for this book. I obviously refused, but it was just terrible. I think Noire almost sued him for the stuff he wrote about us."

Mina was a tinsy bit confused now. Not that this was any news in Gamindustri where weird people gathered like moths to a flame.

"How are the twerps?" Blanc was forcing herself to sound more like her old self. Mina was completely aware of it, but it still was calming her down.

"They are studying hard every day. I have never seen them so focused." Mina praised them in the highest tones.

Blanc actually gave her a really light smile after hearing that. Clearly she was concerned about her sisters. Then why did she not show it to them when they were still here?

Some repressed emotions were involved here. She could read it on the former CPU's face.

"I'm feeling bad about leaving them to themselves." Blanc admitted. Apparently she felt guilt alongside relief. "If I can help them somehow I'll try." Her light blue eyes finally seemed to focus on something beyond her books.

"There is not much you can do for now." She realized that Blanc was in a bad place and needed some time for herself. But how much more? Either way… "Please rest and use this vacation. It won't last long I fear." That was always how it went in the world of adults.

For now she would stay here with Blanc and have a nice long chat. Reconnecting with a friend after such a long time was also important for adults.

 _(To be continued)_

(Next time: A secret will be unveiled. Prepare yourselves.)

(PS: That was way more ominous than intended.)


	14. Episode 13: IF & C-sha

**This is going to be a divise chapter. Haha, get it? Because it's divided and... Funny joke?**

 **Don't kill me just yet please.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 13: IF/C-sha**

Late afternoon had reached Planeptune's sun soaked streets. People were returning from their workplace and crowded the streets and sidewalks in this monstrous rush hour. Even for a veteran city girl like IF this was hard to navigate sometimes. She found herself surrounded by impatient people that wanted to push in every direction at once.

She envied Compa a little whose shifts at the hospital usually ended or started at off times, sparing her this trouble. Next time she visited her she would definitely mention it.

With one rough push to the outer layer of the crowd she managed to slip out into an alleyway. From here she took a few stairs and jumped over a balcony (don't do this at home kids) to reach the level of her apartment building. She wiped off some sweat with her long sleeve and took a moment to recover.

As she pulled out her keys to open the door she realized that it was already unlocked.

"Again Nep?" She clicked her tongue. Ever since she had given Neptune spare keys to her apartment the careless girl kept forgetting to lock the door.

Under normal circumstances someone might have assumed that Neptune was just home right now, but IF knew better. For a while now Neptune had run off every day to goddess knows where. Every time she returned with some new weird accessory. Strangely enough most of them seemed vaguely familiar.

When she asked her goofy friend what the point was, Neptune said they were proof of her victories and when she collected all eight, the final boss would definitely appear. IF had just written it off as the usual Nep idiocy.

What she did find out through some sources (and by listening to the Hi Five radio show) was that Nep wasted her time trying to propose to Lady Noire in ridiculous ways. If IF had any say in the matter she would have made Nep become a responsible member of society first. She was burning through those mountains of credits she made on their first quest rather fast. Looking at her receipts… she had bought a freaking blimp! Why would Nep need a blimp?!

Nep had to find a stable job and calm down. Then she and Lady Noire could settle their score like grownups and live happily ever after. Preferably not inside IF's apartment.

The door opened with a creak and IF stepped inside swiftly. The door was already closed behind her before she even put away her shoes in the shoe rack.

She groaned a little while rubbing her stiff shoulders and sluggishly stumbled into the living room. Her tired gaze brushed past the window… which was open. Not even Nep was _that_ careless.

Her body stiffened up as she heard the sound of her front door being locked from the inside.

With her hands at her Qatar she was prepared to fight the burglar off. But what kind of burglar locked the door? Did that mean this intruder was after her specifically?

Her ears perked up so much that she could hear even the slightest of sounds. The dripping in her sink. The sound of the rustling leaves outside the window. The sound of a long wooden object being swung-

Her legs were pulled away by a staff. She tried to cushion her fall with her arms, but before she could react she was already caught inside a rope. With a swift move she was pulled back up and her arms tied together with force. The mysterious attacker kicked her down on one of her chairs.

"Ungh… who are you?" IF squinted one eye when the hard chair hit her back.

"Someone with questions. You could call me a private detective of sorts." The figure moved out of the shadows and revealed… red eyes. Long green ponytail. A risky black outfit.

"Chika?" IF's eyes turned white. " _Why_?"

Had she just literally been ambushed by someone she knew and talked to on a regular basis?

"We have questions for you and it would be unfortunate if we got interrupted." She pulled the glove on her right hand tighter. She didn't leave any fingerprints behind… wait why was this looking like a real crime?!

"Who is 'we'?" IF raised a brow.

"I am the one asking the questions." Chika retorted in best super-villain fashion.

"Alright! I wouldn't have run away in the first place. We know each other…" This was silly. If she had just approached her normally they could have held a conversation between two reasonable acquaintances.

"It's about my darling Vert and Lady Blanc."

The Qatar in IF's sleeve slid out and cut the rope in an instant. With unexpected agility IF performed a backflip off the chair and kicked off the ground to hero jump out of the open window.

If the guild member hadn't been so panicked she would probably have realized that someone as meticulous as Chika wouldn't leave such an obvious escape route for her unless…

ZZZZZAP!

IF was electrocuted by the tiny wires that had been placed in front of the window. She could barely have seen them in time even if she wasn't trying to cannonball out of the the apartment.

After being thoroughly grilled and lying face down on her own floor, IF was dragged back to the chair by Chika.

"You wouldn't run, hm?" The green haired captor crossed her arms dismissively.

IF realized that she wouldn't be able to escape without a fight to the death. And despite her superior combat experience, she somehow doubted her chances against this scary girl in front of her. Especially while her body smelled like roasted beef.

"I give up." She sighed. "Lady Vert asked me to stay quiet about this until she resolved the problem."

Chika nodded.

"I know how considerate my darling can be."

"Unlike a certain someone…" IF coughed.

Chika was unaffected by her sharp tongue. The ropes were getting tighter though.

"I don't know the details either." IF began her story. "All I can tell you is what I saw at the festival…"

* * *

Around the same time in Leanbox.

The entertainment district was always hustling and bustling, no matter the time of day. C-sha was more used to the calmer regions of Lowee. She was the outdoors type, so this was a bit much. Neon signs everywhere, advertisements for the craziest new products and teenagers running rampant on the Arcades and electronics stores.

Somewhere around here she would find her target.

Honestly, it might have been easier to just waltz into the Basilicom and hope for the best. But according to her long observations, Vert was not hanging out inside her former workplace all that much recently. When she visited Chika in the Zero dimension she subtly pried that information out of her. Of course Vert's self-declared little sister was pretty open about her grief with the situation.

The question was where the blonde ex-CPU went off too every day. She was not visiting Nepgear and she wasn't seen in any attention grabbing contests either. For Vert it would have been easy to attract all eyes to her. In fact it might be unavoidable.

But nothing of the sort happened. C-sha went the extra mile and made an account in 4 Goddess Online 2, a MMO that Vert seemed to frequent more than any other game. And sure enough, the veteran player was online almost 24/7. How was this possible if she wasn't at home?

C-sha had found only one reasonable answer. An internet café.

Recluses as well as teenagers and the occasional husband thrown out of his home by his angry wife were gathering here to waste their time away. Cubicles were rented to whoever needed them for a semblance of privacy. If one wanted to vanish of the face of the earth, this was a good place to do it.

The problem: There were hundreds of these places all over the nation.

By logical deduction C-sha figured that Vert would not go too far from the Basilicom which was still her home after all. Still, even in a walking distance from the mansion, things were rather crowded with these shops.

She had spent most of the last week trying to find the correct place. It was like she had the worst luck ever. So many misses seemed almost impossible. The only explanation was that Vert was switching up her spots every now and then. When she asked the clerks if anybody had seen a busty blonde woman in their internet café, they were all too happy to share the wildest stories. The same happened if she directly asked whether the CPU herself had come to their shops.

As it turned out she had been overlooking one of them this entire time, because it wasn't advertised like the others. A private club. She had found out about it by accident when she heard a couple talking about it after exiting from the underground stairs.

It was all hidden in an average looking bar's basement.

Putting on her poker face she moved through the establishment as if it was just an every day visit. For these places it was important to act familiar. To make it seem like one _belonged_ here. She passed by the bar without even giving the barkeep a nod. If she engaged in a conversation she might be interrogated. Barkeepers were a special blend of shrewd that even C-sha could not deal with.

As long as she went straight for the goal the regulars would assume that she had an invite from someone downstairs.

At least she hoped they would.

When her trained legs moved across the sharp curved stairwell she was slowly eneveloped in darkness. Yes, this was the feeling of a secret club.

Inside the basement she was greeted by dozens of cubicles and to her left a checkout desk. The clerk behind it appeared to be bored out of his mind as he played with his phone.

"How much for 2 hours?" C-sha leaned over the desk, slightly flaunting her body.

"1000 credits." The man said with a bored expression. He wasn't even looking up.

A steep price. This place must have been super-exclusive. Two hours wasn't even that much for this kind of establishment.

C-sha put the creds down and leaned her back against the desk while staring down the hall.

"Not very busy today, eh?" She casually remarked.

"Like it ever is." The guy shrugged.

"Only regulars, I guess?"

"Nobody else gets a permit. You're the first newcomer in weeks." The guy sniffed and put his phone down. He was looking at C-sha's straight brown hair. From this angle he couldn't see her face. "Do you want something from me Miss? Can we get this small talk over with?" He wasn't as dull as he looked.

"I'm just here on the invite of a friend." C-sha shrugged and put down an extra pile of credits. "Blonde, blue eyes. A real lady."

"Oh _her_." The guy huffed. "The one dressing up as Lady Green Heart. We got all types of weirdoes around."

"Yes, that's her. She happens to be a friend of mine that has become a little… distant."

"Should have figured you were the same brand. No _real_ woman runs around in that get-up." He was staring at her pantyhose and skirtless lower body.

Did he… assume she was a guy in drag? Even C-sha felt her pride take a hit from that.

"Haha." She could only laugh it off.

"Runaways are the worst. Tell her off for me as well. My stupid son was the same during high-school. Can't be soft with brats." He was giving her life advice now(?).

"I will take it to heart."

"She's in the cubicle at the end of the second row. Don't pull any drama during my shift please." He waved her off and looked back at his phone like a nicotine addict grabbed his cigars.

C-sha put her beret in her vest pocket and walked through the sparsely lit hall. When she reached the one he had pointed to she felt a little hesitant. Was Lady Vert really in there? Was it fine to just barge in and confront her?

All she needed to push her hand ahead was to remember Blanny's sad eyes.

"Good day Lady Vert. I hope I'm not bothering you during something important." Her gray eyes focused on the silhouette of the blonde girl in front of the computer screen.

"I don't believe you would leave even if I said that you did." Vert replied calmly. Almost too calmly. Had she predicted that someone would sniff her out?

"That's true." C-sha admitted. Like she could back down now.

"I just wanted to take my mind off things for a while…" Vert was still moving her mouse and typing away on her keyboard.

She was playing her MMO on one screen, while also engaging in a puzzle game on another and typing inside a chat room on a third screen. It was… fascinating to watch her multitasking. Now that she was engaging in a conversation she put the puzzle game to pause. So her limit was three separate things at once, huh?

"…but now that Blanc's closest comrade has arrived that won't be possible." She didn't turn around, but she was clearly paying attention to C-sha now.

C-sha didn't react to the jab. Vert's circumstances were certainly sympathetic to her, but if the former goddess knew something about Blanny's troubles then she needed to find out.

"Just what happened between you and Blanny?" She asked straigh up.

The room turned silent for a few seconds, only interrupted by the constant tapping of keys and the clicking of the mouse. The character on the screen was performing crazy feats and skills to take down a boss all by herself. In a matter of seconds the overleveled hero beat the boss and took away great amounts of experience points and loot.

At the end of the character's victory animation Vert's shoulders loosened up. Her profile was hard to see against the light of the screen, but C-sha noticed that she looked uncertain.

The little time that they had known each other she had always gotten the impression that Vert was the deeply tenacious type. Unlike Blanny who was tough on the outside, but soft on the inside, she felt that Vert had a hard core. Something truly impenetrable. Whatever had happened during the play at the Peace Festival had shown off a side of her that nobody had expected.

Now was the time to put that tenacity to the test.

"She won't leave her room anymore. I have never seen her this depressed. Sometimes I wonder if she just gave up on happiness altogether."

"…" Vert seemed affected by those words.

"This started already before the Share drain." Suddenly C-sha let go of her inhibitions and just shared what she thought openly. "She has been acting introverted and unapproachable and every time you come up she has been especially cold. Nepgear told me that you don't get along during meetings and other events." She counted down her evidence. "As far as I know you two have had a history of drawn out arguments, but isn't this unnatural? Blanny blows up fast, but she never gets depressed over it."

"I wasn't aware how much it troubled her." Vert said with a quiet voice.

"If I had to estimate a time when this started…" C-sha closed her eyes and tapped her finger against her temple. "…I would say it was around the Summer Festival in Planeptune."

Vert's shoulders twitched.

Bullseye.

"I could have tried to ask the others what they saw back then." She sat down on a reversed chair that was placed in the corner of the cubicle. "But I wanted to go straight to you. Blanny is an important friend. She deserves my best efforts. So please tell me Lady Vert: **What happened**?"

"During the fireworks show." Vert finally caved in. Her blue eyes were distant as she recalled that suppressed memory.

C-sha nodded. During that time she had also been with them, looking up at the stars and fire flowers. Actually she had been sitting next to the twins and Uzume at the time. Where was Blanny during it? The pavilion? The whole evening was just one big blur to her.

"To my surprise when everything was illuminated by the fireworks and I let my guard down…" She could barely put it into words as she relived the moment. Her delicate fingers softly touched her lips. "…Blanc approached me without warning and…. _Kissed me_."

C-sha was frankly surprised. Maybe more than that. But somehow she was keeping it all hidden below a professional mask. If she let it get to her now she would probably misunderstand.

"Did you… see it coming?" She asked with a dry throat.

Vert didn't respond immediately as she leaned forward on her chair. The computer was humming in the background, completely ignored by now.

"Not at all." She confessed. "I did not expect Blanc to ever go that far."

Didn't that mean she suspected that Blanc had thought about it? Or was that just C-sha trying to interpret too much into it? This whole situation was bizarre and gave her a headache.

"I do not know what she _meant_ by it either." Vert continued without being urged on by the blue-clad huntress. "Whether it was something… genuine." She sounded slightly bitter. "When I confronted her she told me it was just for material."

"…material?" What kind of cruel game was that supposed to be? C-sha was shocked to hear those words out of Vert's mouth.

"For her novels." Vert explained.

"Blanny wouldn't…" She wouldn't believe something like that so easily. Everything about this whole situation seemed wrong!

Vert held her head in her hands and sighed.

"This might very well have been my fault." She whispered mysteriously.

 _(To be continued)_


	15. Episode 14: Uzume

**Episode 14: Uzume**

 _I stand in this crumbling dimension once again. The arena is a ruined city. My opponent is 'Me'. Like a darkened mirror image she faces me with all of her hatred. Our existence is on the line. We can't take even one step back, because it would be the same as admitting defeat. The only direction is forward._

 _Her dark hair sways as she raises her megaphone. I do the same._

 _We both scream. The words are meaningless, only the rage of our emotions and dreams collides. Each shockwave blows over another building in the distance, each impact of our fists; each clash of our bodies creates more tears in this unstable world._

 _Desperation fuels us, but still we are calm at the core._

' _Me' is out of energy. She has already given everything to her cause, her revenge. At the cusp of revival, the precipice of a new age, we both need to destroy everything that makes the other real. Her hatred or my hope, which can outlast the other?_

 _My body feels numb. My mind is numb. Everything around me is a blur. Only my fists keep moving._

 _Energy gathers around our arms. Like a drill that pierces the soul._

 _She says something… I can't hear her anymore._

 _I kick off the ground and rush into her desperate attack. Our drills, our fists, our existence collides!_

" _Accepting it is also an option."_

 _A voice echoes inside my head as my drill breaks. As 'My' drill breaks. As our fists clash._

 _This is an impossible amount to 'accept'. I can't take it all in. This mirror image is just too deep and sorrowful._

' _My' fist cracks. It sinks down in slow-motion._

 _I need to win. I need to exist. 'Me' has already lost everything. And she knows it._

 _My bare fist claws into her chest. Somehow it felt like sliding into cold silk. It was soft, almost too soft. This is how it ends._

 _She smiles as her body disintegrates._

 _ **Why does she smile?**_

That's the end. I won over 'Me' and became the true Uzume. The only Uzume. Even if I was not a fully realized person yet. My revival was at hand.

 _Why did she smile?_

Kurome was not evil. She was just as real as me. Her intentions were misguided. The part of Uzume that gave up. The feelings of betrayal and sorrow bottled up in all that sealed time. But even as someone who had given in to despair she fought to the very end. Her determination was equal to mine. No, just a little short.

 _How could she smile?_

I could not take all of her hatred. I'm sorry Umio.

 _Did she feel relief?_

Could it be that she wanted me to win? It seems preposterous. What a selfish thing, to hope for redemption. But that is exactly it. I could not take all of her hatred.

 _Did she accept all of my hope?_

In the end she had to give in to me. She _had_ to… but now I start to think, maybe she _wanted_ to? With all her might she had resisted me and grasped for existence, but when I obtained it instead, she gave me that final image of content.

A smile is the strongest. Seared into my mind forever.

Like the words never spoken.

" _That's it then. If that's how it is you are not allowed to give up. Never waver again. Never let 'Me' return. Never let hatred consume you."_

She did not say those words. They were not real. Just like she did not exist anymore. But to me they were real…

* * *

Uzume's awakening was sudden. She gasped for air and stretched out her hand as if to grab something that was already disappearing. Her body was covered in cold sweat.

That dream again. It repeated countless times. Whenever she went to sleep she was forced to relive that fight. Always in the arena, always fighting for her existence. It always played out the same way, but each time she was just as desperate.

The question flickered inside her mind again. Did Kurome want her to win? Did she want to find an end by her hands?

If Uzume was really the 'conscience' of the original Uzume, then what was Kurome? Was it really as black and white as this? Or did that determined girl on the opposite side seek to be purified as well?

If her hope could not overcome the darkness, then what she needed was something greater than her…

Uzume held her pulsating head and sat up inside the bathtub. She had fallen asleep in a bad place again. The tub was completely dry, as was Uzume's body apart from her sweat. The heat exuding from her skin had evaporated the water while she slept. This painful heat that was making every waking moment feel like she was pushed into boiling water.

Her eyes were focused on her feet that she could see in her lying position. Sweat drops were sliding down her chest and stomach. Despite being naked, she could not even feel cold.

Groaning, she exited the bathtub and dried herself with a towel. Afterwards she went back into her room to dress herself.

* * *

Uzume was exhausted. She had barely done anything today, but her body was aching like she had run a marathon across the entire Zero dimension. The Share energy inside her wanted to explode. It was the same as carrying a can of nitro-glycerin in her pocket. If she wasn't careful it would blow up unpredictably.

"Uzume you look quite worn out. Would you like to go rest today?" Umio was watching her with concern. They were standing (and floating) on the rooftop of the Basilicom. The view over the city was a reminder to both of them what was most important. Only that Uzume's gaze now extended past this dimension.

"I just slept. If I sleep any more than that I might as well go hibernate." Uzume put a hand on her waist. Her orange eyes were not looking at anything specifically. They were tinged in exhaustion.

"I understand." Umio knew that she was right. Every moment that she didn't spend training she was resting as well as she could. Yet…

"Shit… not again…" Uzume's body was shaking a few moments before bursting into a pillar of numbers and light! After the shockwaves subsided Orange Heart was floating next to Umio again. Another involuntary transformation. They had been happening in faster succession every day. And she had increasing trouble to turn HDD off.

"Does it hurt badly?" Umio asked with a downcast expression.

"Uzume just feels kinda dizzy." Orange Heart replied while holding her head. The Share energy was too great for her body. It needed a bigger faucet. That's why it forcefully widened the flow by transforming her. The problem was that being in HDD amplified the strain at least ten times. Being Orange Heart was almost as bad as getting electrocuted at millions of volt every waking second.

Umio could not even imagine how his friend felt right now, but he knew that she was putting on a brave front. He could only hope that Histoire would find a solution soon. Uzume would not last another week like this.

"Go awaaaay!" She urged her own powers with a pouty face. After some sparks went across her body she forcefully turned HDD mode off! Red-haired Uzume was back with a badly adjusted smile. "No problem!" She declared and balled her hand to a fist.

"You are pushing yourself for our sakes." Umio knew all too well how much weight she carried.

"What are ya talking about? I'm doing this because I want to. I promised 'em that I would look after their home while they are gone." Uzume shook his words off.

Umio floated over his friend and landed on the lightning rod that stuck out of the flat rooftop. This spire had a really small peak. The highest place of the entire dimension was so tiny. From up here it was hard to have a sense of reality. Everything looked small and unimportant.

Beyond the city was a portal. Beyond that portal lied an entire different dimension. Beyond that dimension were countless others. Their problems were insignificant compared to everything out there. But to him only Uzume mattered.

This dimension only existed because of Uzume. When the Heart dimension collapsed the Zero dimension had to disappear as well. But when Uzume was revived she had brought back this place as well. This represented her hopes and dreams. Slowly but surely the city was rebuild and turned into a wonderful place. This Basilicom was the symbol of triumph over adversity.

But if this place and its citizens were what forced Uzume to suffer, then what was the point of it? The Share drain and its consequences were part of the dimensional void. Histoire's explanations were clear about that.

"If the Zero dimension had disappeared then there wouldn't be a void." Umio said ponderingly.

"Nah, I think there would just be an even bigger void." Uzume interjected his musings.

"Pardon?"

"I thought about this complicated stuff too. When Uzume sealed herself away she created an entire dimension. Her powers really were amazing." She talked about the original Uzume in third person. It was something Umio had only noticed recently. "If you force a marble into water, the water's gonna be pushed away, right? Then if you pull the marble out the water's got to flow back together and close the gap."

"That is an interesting analogy." Umio could follow her train of thought. "If your hypothesis is true, that would mean this gap had to be closed no matter what happens to the Zero dimension."

"Yup." Uzume was proud of her results.

Umio realized the implications. If the Zero dimension had stayed erased then whatever was beyond it would have to close the void instead. Their understanding of dimensional mechanics was completely amateurish, so this was by no means accurate. Histoire could probably hold a seminar on this topic for an entire week, just about how wrong their interpretation was.

One thing Uzume had not considered though. No, she _could_ not consider it at all.

If the Zero dimension disappeared the Share flow towards it would probably stop, ending the CPUs' suffering. Umio could not bring himself to say it yet. If she gave up on this dream world, she would be able to return everything to normal. The possibility existed. Without certainty though he could not even speak those words. How could he push Uzume into a corner like that?

"Just a little longer." Uzume said with a fading voice.

A little longer until what? The flying fish had no idea what she was seeing with those determined eyes. If Histoire didn't find a solution then Uzume had not much time left. Her strength was limited. Right now she was preparing to take over as the de facto CPU of Gamindustri, but as things stood she wouldn't have a long rule.

"Woah! I almost forgot." Suddenly Uzume rose up from the railing she had leaned on.

"What is the matter?" Umio floated down in a hurry.

"I got to meet up with Unisy! I told her to come to the old park down the street so we can talk." Uzume looked nervous all of a sudden.

"It sounds important." He had no idea what they were discussing, but it was good to see Uzume focus on something other than duties for once.

"It totally is. I hope we can still get along after this." She was unsure. Then her face contorted. "Already?" She gritted her teeth. Umio could see the blurry air around her body. The heat had returned. Another transformation!

This was the first time it happened in the span of just minutes…

"Fine! I just need to release some steam!" Uzume raised her arm and let the transformation happen willingly. "Uzume will be off then~" Orange Heart flew straight off the rooftop and towards the distant mountains.

"What are you trying to do?" Umio's smooth voice flew across the gust created by Uzume's hypersonic flight.

* * *

"HAAAAAH!" The CPU yelled into her megaphone. The sound waves blew up a huge chunk of the mountain. The force was unreal. This was her third roar filled with enough energy to fuel a small city for a day. She could feel the pressure on her soft shoulders loosen.

Lightheaded she floated down the mountain and back into the city. On her way she passed a few curious onlookers. The impacts to the mountain hadn't gone unnoticed. After reaching the Basilicom again she undid her transformation and leaned on her knees for a moment to recover. It was still bearable.

With that much output she had bought herself some time. Which she would use to engage Uni. Somewhat disoriented she walked towards the promised location. On her way there she ran into familiar faces.

"Oh wow, what a coincidence." She stopped in her tracks and raised her hands to greet them.

"Good day Uzume." Kei and Mina had been walking down the street as well. The silver-haired Oracle was carrying a suitcase, while Mina was just holding on to her staff.

"Are you goin' somewhere?" She tilted her head. This was the route towards the Share Bridge.

"I'm on my way to visit Blanc." Mina explained. Whenever she had time off recently she returned to Lowee. She adjusted her glasses as she glanced towards the portal.

"In my case the staff from Lastation's Basilicom has called me over to inspect some new data they found. Supposedly it is about the monster attacks that have been increasing as of late." Kei had a calm expression on her serious face. Even in her off time it was still all business.

"You got to tell me what they said about that after you come back tomorrow." Uzume was curious about their results.

"Certainly. I would be a failure of an Oracle to keep information from my CPU." Kei's reaction was just like her.

"Can you greet Blanny from me when you meet her? I haven't seen any of the others since this all started." She requested while looking towards Mina.

"I will remember to mention it to her. Blanc needs to know that people are thinking of her." Mina was all too happy to grant Uzume's request. It seemed that Blanc was also going through some tough times.

"Is it just you two?" It was silly, but she felt like the green haired Oracle wouldn't want to be left behind. She was the one who moved the most between dimensions.

"Actually I haven't seen Chika since yesterday. She mentioned that she had to investigate something and left for Gamindustri." Kei explained.

"She did not mention what her business was." Mina wasn't in the know either.

"Super busy. I think it's awesome that she is always sets goals for herself.." The red-head couldn't help but admire Chika's willfulness.

"So are you on a walk?" Mina wondered.

"Ahh! I got distracted again!" Uzume held her head and panicked. "I gotta go, see ya!" She ran off towards the park. The Oracles were staring after her, but she already forgot about them. All that mattered right now was to get to Uni.

Barely able to stop her momentum she slid straight through the park entrance and held on to a lamppost. Her feet had stopped right in front of an old decrepit fountain. The cement had cracked and if there had been water inside once, it had long since dried up. The fish statue on top sorta reminded her of Umio.

Just as she let go of the metallic pole she felt a gaze upon her back. When she turned around her eyes met with Uni's. Then raven haired girl had been sitting on a crumbled stone bench. She had probably been surprised by Uzume's sudden entrance.

Their eyes met, but Uni immediately crossed her arms and turned her head away. So she wasn't happy to see Uzume. Not a good start.

"Hi uh… Unisy. Sorry for being late."

No reply. This would be tougher than fighting a couple of Dark CPUs, wouldn't it?

"I heard… well someone told me that you and Gearsy are having lots of arguments."

"What is it to you?" Uni said as her hand went through her hair.

"Well for one I don't want my friends to fight." Uzume replied. "Especially if it's because of me." She added after a few seconds.

"Who said it was all about you?" Uni twisted her mouth.

"That's not what I meant." Uzume scratched her head. Then she walked over to Uni and sat down on the bench next to her. That was a bold move. "You and Gearsy are like…" She felt embarrassed to spell it out.

"We are what?" Now Uni was playing dumb to revel in Uzume's awkwardness.

"You're really close!" Uzume exclaimed.

"So are you." Her words were double layered. One of the layers was their current physical closeness. She really wanted Uzume to back off, huh?

"Listen, it's not what you think. Gearsy and I are just true friends. There is only friendship between us. She is someone that always gave me a shoulder to lean on and stayed at my side when I needed her. Even right now she's being an amazing friend. I want to be the one she can lean on for once. That's how close we are." She somehow managed to express her feelings about the matter.

She wasn't dense or anything. Unlike her outward appearance would suggest she wasn't just a rough girl with a one-track mind. She understood how frail feelings could be. Uni's worries were completely understandable. Even if Uzume didn't get romantic love, she could see how losing someone close was hurtful. Uni was probably thinking about it in those terms.

"Why do you always have to talk about her like this…?" Uni's reaction was less than favorable. The way Uzume and Nepgear always talked about each other… the way they treasured each other was exactly the reason why she felt this way!

"If you want to say something to me I will definitely listen." All Uzume could do was try to understand her better.

"I don't want you to be so close to Nepgear!" Uni finally cracked. Her red eyes locked on to Uzume's surprised face. "What are you to her? What is she to you? I don't understand your friendship! I'm scared of the way you look at each other!" Her resentment spilled forth.

Uzume stayed silent and listened.

"This world is so messed up! Why did you have to make everything so confusing!? I just wanted to become a good CPU that big sis could be proud of… I wanted to be with Nepgear, because I love her… But now nothing makes sense anymore and Nepgear only cares about you! _It's your fault_!" Her words didn't make much sense, even to her, but Uzume didn't retort wildly.

The murky sky above was reflecting the ex-CPU candidates clouded heart. Her breathing was as ragged as the gusts in the storm. She finally laid everything bare. Even when she talked to Kei, she didn't show her dark side like this. Now that the person she blamed the most was right here, cornering her, she instinctively went on the offensive. There was only regret on this path, but she would make Uzume regret prying open that weakly attached façade and mask.

"I don't think Gearsy only cares about me at all." Uzume corrected her. "She always told me that she wanted you to hang out with us during the lessons, you know?" She leaned back on the bench with a smile.

"…so what? I stay with her all the time outside the lessons. Whenever I have time. But all she ever talks about is you." Uni got annoyed by the red-head's laid back attitude.

"And when she is with me she only talks about _you_. I don't want to throw around stuff behind her back, but I think Gearsy is a bit frustrated." She pointed out with a thoughtful expression.

" _She_ is frustrated?! Who does she think is responsible for all of this-" Uni stopped herself and closed her mouth mid-sentence.

"Thought so. It's not even _me_ that you're angry with." Uzume shrugged. "You are angry at Gearsy."

Uni seemed to be alarmed by her own outburst. She didn't want to accept that. The one she hated right now was Uzume!

"I mean, it really makes sense. All you've been sayin' is that she doesn't pay attention to you." Uzume continued uninterrupted. "I get that you're also lost because you turned human now, but aren't you mixing those feelings up with your fear of losing Gearsy?" Uzume knew that she wasn't exactly improving Uni's opinion of her by taking random shots at her mind.

"Shut up…" She didn't want to hear those unfounded allegations.

"Aren't you making light of her feelings for you?" Uzume gave her a wry smile. "Gearsy came to me back then and asked for advice. I wouldn't want my first love advice to lead to some tragic ending. She shouldn't regret confessing to ya."

"You… what did you say?" Uni was out of it. Did she just say that Nepgear confessed to her because… Uzume had _told_ her to? That changed her entire perspective on the past two months. No, _everything_ she had felt since the confession.

Uzume didn't manage to realize just how problematic her remark had been. All she could think about was that she didn't want to distance herself from Nepgear. But if she didn't the girlfriends would keep arguing. It would have been nice if the three of them could just be friends…

"You… you set her up?" Uni said emotionlessly.

"What are you saying? You're the one who keeps making her worry."

"You made me say it's Nepgear's fault…. But it's all definitely yours… Are my feelings a game to you…?"

"Where are you getting this from? I'm just thinkin' of Nepgear's feelings here!"

They were heading in a bad direction. If this continued they would go over the line. Beyond it there would come a territory that one could never come back from.

" _Stop it, both of you!_ " A clear voice cut through the gathering darkness and blew away the metaphorical mist around the arguing girls. From behind the park wall Nepgear had appeared. She had come out of hiding.

"Gearsy? How'd you-?" Uzume blinked in surprise. She hadn't told her to come here. Nobody aside from her and Uni was supposed to know about this meeting.

"!" Uni shrank back in fear.

It was hard to tell how long the purple sister had been here already. Maybe she just arrived, or perhaps she had heard the entire conversation.

"Rom told me to come here." She explained and slowly moved towards them.

Of course! This was the twins' back up plan. Uzume felt more impressed than betrayed by their secret actions.

Unlike the mildly surprised Uzume, Uni was utterly terrified. She had said all those mean and selfish things in front of Nepgear… again. Why did she always have to see her bad sides? Why did Uni have to be such a terrible person? Now Nepgear had even more reason to hate her. All this jealousy was exposed and left only regret.

In this clear state of fear in her mind Uni realized that she had been a colossal idiot towards Uzume who was just a nice person, trying to help. Inadvertently she had turned into a scapegoat for Uni's insecurities.

She had _tried_ to change, but people did not and could not change that fast. Before she could even really realize her happiness with Nepgear, she had already been thrown into so much confusion. Which had led her to blame the people that had tried to give her that happiness in the first place…

A single tear ran down the sad girl's face.

As Nepgear stomped towards Uni with a raised hand, the raven haired girl didn't move her feet, but she closed her eyes and jerked back when she received the slap… which didn't hurt? The hand on her cheek was soft and comforting.

"I told you I would accept all your selfishness." She smiled forgivingly. She remembered her promise made under that beautiful night sky. Every word she had said back then was true.

Uni's eyes filled with tears.

"But I also said I would straighten out that bad personality of yours if I had to!" She used force to push Uni down and they both kneeled on the ground together, Uni's head being forced to bow.

Uzume jumped up from the bench in shock when seeing their submissive gesture.

"I'm sorry that our bickering made you worry so much during this stressful time." Nepgear apologized for the both of them. Uni looked like a sad puppy that had been scolded by its owner as she was pushed down.

"Eh?" Uzume was caught off guard and just stared at them dumbfounded.

Then she burst out laughing.

After holding her stomach and catching her breath she finally managed to push out some words.

"You're adorable together!"

For a second the couple wondered if Uzume switched personalities again, but the tomboy was still pretty cool.

"If you're that madly in love with her, you just gotta show it off to anyone who gets in yer way Unisy!" She showed off her cheek. "Punch me!"

"W-wait Uzume, that's not right. It's our fault-"

"I don't want to hit you-"

"Not listening! I got it coming for being insensitive. If RomRam hadn't told me about it, I'd still be acting like some brain-dead jerk. Unisy has every right to be angry with me. You two are girlfriends, so I shouldn't be actin' out of line, right?" She was firing Uni up to hit her.

Uni stood up while Nepgear was slightly loosening her grip and then moved her hand with emotion alone.

She slapped Uzume right across the face. The red-head was sent tripping backwards a few steps. She hadn't expected it to be this much of an impact. Those feelings were damn real!

Uzume held her pulsating red cheek and then looked up.

"Sheesh... Now it's Gearsy's turn. Your girlfriend isn't sure if you love her 120% yet. Show her whatcha got!" She encouraged her.

Nepgear turned nervous hearing those words. Uzume had gone mad! Maybe that slap had shaken her head more than expected… She gulped. It was crazy, yeah. But she wanted to show Uni what she felt. She wanted to make up for all the time they lost, because of her dense actions.

Uni rubbed her pounding hand and blew on it. That hit was way stronger than she intended actually. Her emotions were currently on a rollercoaster, so she instinctively gave it her all. In these few moments of distraction she had lost the initiative.

Nepgear grabbed Uni's confused face and brought it closer, before kissing her with the force of a typhoon! Her eyes widened at first, but eventually closed submissively, giving in to the caress of Nepgear's tongue.

Uzume smiled at the picture of the reunited lovers.

"Ahn… N-Nepgear?! N-not my neck… eek!" Uni began moaning as Nepgear's mouth found her way to her slender neck.

Uzume's smile cracked.

"Mmph… p-please… I'm sorry…" Lip smacking sounds continued as Nepgear kept ravaging Uni's face. "Forgive meeeee!"

Uzume put hands in front her eyes. This was getting a little too intense for her.

At least Nepgear's feelings were obvious now. Yes, Uni had taken out her bad feelings on Uzume's willing cheek and was now comforted by the… affections of her lover. This was the best way to resolve the problem.

She peeked between the gaps in her fingers, but immediately closed them again at what she saw.

Could they at least wait until she was gone though?

* * *

Afterwards (whatever actually took place in this deserted park) the three of them all fell on their butts and exhaled the tension. After all there was no doubt where everyone stood on this. They all had learned their lesson.

Feelings were complex. Their words had helped Uni get over her jealousy and Nepgear understand that she had been too held back at the wrong time. There were still other things that burdened these two, but now that the wall between them had been broken in they could discuss them at their leisure and in each other's comfort. Even the worst fears didn't seem so horrific in the presence of a loved one.

"I'm sorry Uzume… and thanks." Uni had turned into a meek kitten after what she went through, leaning her head against Nepgear's shoulder.

"No problem. I think I learned how strong you two really are today." In more ways than one.

"I'm glad that everyone can be happy again." Nepgear smiled brightly while cradling Uni's head.

To quote Neptune: Don't create bad flags like that!

 _Riiing-a-ling-ding!_

Uzume's N-gear was ringing. She picked it up from the inside of her pocket and took the call.

"Histy?" She was surprised to see the Oracle on screen.

 _"Please everyone, you need to come back immediately! Meet me at the Share Bridge!"_

 _(To be continued)_


	16. Episode 15: The Proposal (Redux)

**Episode 15: The Proposal (Redux)**

Two figures approached from opposite ends of the crater. Both were clad an aura of importance. Of destiny!

"We both knew it would come to this."

" _It was fate."_

"Unavoidable."

" _Guided by unseen hands."_

"Eternally!"

Dramatic silence enveloped the girls.

"Are you done yet?" Noire asked with a raised brow.

"Wait, I still got one more in me! ' _I am your girlfriend. Search your feelings; you know it to be true_.'" Neptune said with a raised hand. She had been doing both parts of the exchange with different voices the entire time. Noire had just silently watched her blabber.

"What in Celestia's name are you wearing?" The twintailed ex-goddess took a long hard look at her lover's outfit.

"These are my spoils of war." Nep said while adjusting the crown she had obtained from Million Arthur. She was indeed wearing all the accessories she had scavenged from her beaten foes. "It's proof that I am worthy to challenge ya or something."

"How is that even…?" Noire facepalmed.

"I beat all eight of your Peach-butt Masters! Little ol' me expected Noire's secret castle base to appear on the map afterwards, but instead we ended up in a location of great personal importance. Not sure which is a better scenario actually." Nep put her hands behind her head while glancing over the crater.

"I don't have a castle…. Wait, stop messing with my head!" Noire got caught in Neptune's pace far too easily for her own liking. She had called Neptune here, because they would be alone and not bothering anybody. It wasn't because this place was important to them specifically.

"Nice job! It's like they say: The criminal always returns to the corpse!"

"That's 'the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime'! And how is this even a crime scene?!"

The 'crime scene' was the Final Frontier Plains, smack-dab in the center of Gamindustri, right next to the Gamindustri Graveyard. It was situated between Planeptune and Lastation and made the perfect clashing point for them.

For some reason that sounded slightly familiar.

"I'm gonna be the one to swoop you off your feet yet again today." Neptune declared. This was the place where she had confessed to Noire roughly a year ago. After a long and hard battle she had realized her feelings and given them form. And after another even harder battle she had received Noire's feelings of confirmation in the most roundabout way.

There was no place she would rather make Noire her wife.

"Back then I was surprised and toyed with." Noire said with slightly red cheeks. "But not today! I will show you who takes the initiative in this relationship." She posed confidently.

"I knew you were going to say that. You're such a hardhead~" She snorted.

"You are the last person in Gamindustri that I want to hear those words from!" Noire's stoic smile twitched slightly.

Maybe they had an unspoken agreement. Despite not having discussed the conditions and circumstances yet, both were completely prepared for the following clash. Noire drew her rapier in sync with Neptune pulling up her katana.

One last battle. Just two friends, two lovers, who were at the end of a long road. A final clash to make certain who had the right to propose to the other. No tricks, no detours.

"I won't hold anything back. Don't complain when you get hurt for real this time!" Noire boasted.

"I feel bad about scarring my cute future wife, but there is probably some item that can fix it." Neptune spun the katana in her hands and set one foot ahead to go into a fighting stance.

They would end their spat the only way they knew how: Like in a goddamn battle manga!

"Ladies first!" Neptune jumped off the half-buried rock she had been standing on and launched straight at Noire.

"Way ahead of you!" Noire greeted her with a flurry of needle like upwards stabs.

Nep had to block the attack with her sword and roll through the dirt to avoid getting skewered. In the process the crown was flung off her head. The weight of her weapon was slightly dragging her down.

Comparatively Noire had little trouble moving her rapier at blinding speeds. Despite turning human she seemed almost _better_ than before!

"Whoopsie-doodle!" Neptune dodged to the right as the rapier strafed her hoodie dress and cut off Tekken's red sash. Then she lowered her leg and used her falling momentum to slice at Noire's defenseless waist.

Only that Noire was far from defenseless. She took just a single step back and was able to avoid the katana easily. She gracefully spun around and hit Neptune with a kick flat against her chest. But Neptune had anticipated Noire's kick-heavy combo list and was already holding on to the incoming foot! Of course their difference in height and weight made it hard for her to stop the impact, but she tenaciously held on to it!

"Let go already!" Noire shook her leg, desperately trying to loosen Nep's grip.

But the purple haired fighter was just getting started. She pushed back by using her feet against the hardened ground below the rock they were standing on. Then she forced her muscles to perform miraculous feats as she managed to pull Noire over and slam her into the ground.

"Touchdown! Hahaha!" She was slightly out of breath, but the feeling of triumph made her blood rush through her head.

"Why you…" Noire spat out some dirt and jumped up so fast that Nep could barely react to her elbow. Which hit her beautifully in the solar plexus.

Neptune gasped for air and almost blacked out. The badly attached blue wig slipped off in her spasms. With the last shred of awareness she raised her sword, just in time to block Noire's rapier that was aimed at her shoulder. Whatever she may have said, Noire was not going all out. She clearly tried not to injure Neptune too badly.

What a big mistake.

"I'll take that…" She forced out between coughs and twisted her blade in a way to let Noire push forward, but straight past Neptune's head. The raven haired girl was so surprised when she almost hit her across the face that she inadvertently hesitated. Nep used that gap to hit Noire's sword arm with her hilt at full force.

Noire flinched and let go of her rapier.

Nep caught it out of the air and then held both blades out towards the retreating Noire.

"Your reason for losing to me is simple. You held back because I'm human now!" Neptune leaned her katana on one shoulder while supporting her body on the rapier stabbed into the ground. It was a big mistake to be so considerate. "What do you think I've been doing for the last weeks?"

"…" Noire's red eyes were darting around as if to find an escape route or something.

"I've been fighting your cronies in all kinds of weird places with everything from fishing rods to pancakes! Even if I lost my awesome protagonist powers, I still got all those experiences to boost me up to your level." She knew that Noire was the hardest working gal around. Not even once had she abandoned her training. After turning human she probably still worked out and did her best to adjust to the new limitations. So Nep could not have fallen behind either. In fact she was thankful that Noire sent all those opponents after her. This way she had managed to explore her new capabilities much better.

"You are wrong about one thing." Noire finally looked her in the eyes again. "I haven't lost to you yet."

"But I'm always the one to pin you down in the end~" Nep said with a dirty grin.

"T-that's it! I'll make you eat those words!" Noire replied flustered, but also spiteful.

"Oi, that's dangerous." Neptune ducked under the rock that was thrown at her head. "You could hit an innocent NPC which will lead to you getting sued for all you're worth! And then I have to marry you in jail."

"I will be sure to call the priest to the hospital for you instead!" Noire suddenly rushed forward, one rock in each hand.

The approach was simplistic, but that's just what Neptune loved. She pulled the rapier out of the ground and got ready for a clash.

Both swords went down in a cross attack, but Noire used the rocks to block the edges just in time. The next move could have been to smash them into Nep's face, but instead she went for the most confusing action possible.

A headbutt!

Now, it was known that Neptune had the hardest head in the world that wouldn't even split after falling from Planeptune tower straight down on the pavement. But usually she could prepare for the impact. In general _she_ was the one doing the headbutting. Honestly, who could have seen the dignified Noire attack like a brute?!

Bottom line, she was caught off guard and as their skulls collided she took a critical hit. Noire's brain was definitely shook as well, but she had braced herself and managed to keep standing, while Nep stumbled backwards and fell over a rotten tree stump. Nep's katana rotated in the air a few times before stabbing itself into the coarse earth.

Noire gracefully caught her rapier. At least she imagined it to be graceful, but her vision was shaking so much from the head trauma that she could barely get a hold of it and dropped it several times.

"If you were this dominant during our 'nightly games' I'd probably be dead…" Neptune rubbed her red forehead carefully. The bump was already expanding.

"Juuuust stop talkinggg…" Noire held her own head to stop the spinning.

The girls returned to their stances wobblingly and grabbed their weapons tighter. This time they wouldn't let them go again.

"I thought kicks were your specialty, so why did your noggin just rocket propel to my face region?" Nep looked at the special boots from Nepgya that had gotten stuck in the tree stump. Good thing she wore her normal shoes below those.

"I thought I would give you a change of pace." Noire said sarcastically.

"We aren't even married yet, so you don't need to spice up your moves to keep the spark alive."

"I will kick you _next_." Noire declared with squinted eyes. Announcing moves like that was always a bad sign for the opponent.

"Well c'mere then! My body has high blunt resistance!" She dashed off to Noire's left side and stabbed forwards. Noire reacted by deflecting the blade, which created sparks between the metal edges.

Then Noire's sword started to glow in rainbow colors. She was going to unleash her Tornado Sword!

 _Black Heart raised her glowing blade in a glorious burst of energy. Her silver-white hair was shaking in the wind of its swirling power. Her attack towered above the heavens that she had descended from. Such force, equal to that of nature, would crush down on her eternal opponents._

Maybe it was due to their shaken heads, but Neptune just for an instance saw a flashback to the past. A nostalgic feeling enveloped them as they clashed today.

The Tornado Sword was not as strong as it used to be, but when Noire unleashed it on Neptune, she had to dodge with all her swiftness. The slash wave of destructive rainbow energy only missed her face by a few centimeters. A strain of Nep's hair was sliced to smithereens.

"Didn't you say your next attack was going to be a kick?" She shouted over the wind. Then she froze up. Her foot felt no resistance from the ground she had retreated to. From the corner of her eyes she noticed the gigantic crevice in the burnt earth behind her. This was one of many scars this battlefield had taken during their fight with the Deity of Sin from another dimension. Or was it perhaps one of Next Black's attacks that had created this destruction? Either way the gap was wide and unspeakably deep.

Her balance was barely restored and she avoided falling, but…

"Hah!" Noire was running towards her and she threw her rapier into the air, followed by performing a handstand.

"You aren't seriously gonna roundhouse kick me-!" Neptune was soon shut up by the incoming roundhouse kick. Now there was too much force to be balanced out and she flew backwards into the abyss. Her outline disappeared into the darkness in an instant and was swallowed completely.

Noire flipped back onto her feet and caught her sword. She gasped a few times from the sudden exertion. She was apparently not too worried about Neptune's fate. It was obvious that she would come out soon.

But she didn't return. Even after quite a while there was no sign of the protagonist of protagonists. Noire started to feel a sense of unease. When Neptune didn't even return after she counted to 100, Noire approached the crevice and looked down.

"I can't believe you actually roundhouse kicked me." Nep stared her right into the face. She was standing on conjured 8-bit swords that were stuck into the wall of the rift. Her hand was holding on to the rolled up blue jacket she had attached to a rock before falling into nothingness. Just as Noire could sigh in relief, Neptune pulled herself up and swung her katana in a combination attack. " **My turn**. Cross Combination!"

 _Purple Heart moved as swift as a river and as serene as a pond. Her blade moved as if tracing a beautiful picture perfectly. Each blow she dealt was met with equal force, yet she never retreated. Her purple braided ponytails fluttered after her always moving body. Skill and divine elegance were blended into one with her moves. She showed no sign of doubt in her swings._

Noire was pushed back by Neptune's forceful combination and found herself unable to counter attack. Her moves were purely defensive. While Neptune certainly had lost strength, she did not lose her wild style. For some reason all she could see was Purple Heart's determined face, as if they were still fighting to decide who was worthier. It must have been the damage to her head from before.

With each fling, smash, grab and clash they became more ragged and desperate. Neptune had been on the offensive for the longest time, but she slowly got winded. An unexpected slash made her block with God Eater's oversized bracelet which was swiftly cut apart.

Yet Noire also had exhausted herself on the defensive. Neptune somehow managed to slice off a bunch of her ribbons. It sounded unimpressive, but those swings were not aimed. The fact that Noire was still grazed this many times spoke of Neptune's berserker like barrages' speed and power.

Their blades connected so heavily that their arms vibrated.

 _Purple Heart was equal to Black Heart. Their skirmishes always ended in a draw. Even on this day they had faced each other again. All four of them were battling for the position of sole ruler. The Console War had stretched out so long that they all felt the fatigue of endless battles too well. It seemed as if White Heart and Green Heart had long since been forgotten though as the Processor Unit's of Lastation and Planeptune's CPUs received countless blows from each other._

 _They were not seeking each other out on purpose, but divine providence would always guide them back to clash. Certainly their endless contest would be rewarded someday. Against all odds they had build an instinctual respect for each other. Beyond dreams of conquest and ideology, there was only the will to finally defeat the other._

 _Later this feeling would become diluted. Pointless. A rivalry built around an unspoken friendship. All but forgotten below the fate of the world and the peace that they had finally created. A world without the Console Wars as Purple Heart had envisioned and Black Heart had inspired._

 _Rivalry became friendship and friendship became love._

 _All of them were one and the same thing. The realization just never came. In most timelines that's where it would have ended. Their egos clashing in a blaze of arrogance unable to and never wanting to understand those feelings._

 _But there was possibility. There was a shared wish in their hearts. And when one cage was broken and another's delusion turned to realization, finally they could embrace each other. The chains had been broken and the red string had been tied across their fingers._

 _Even so…_

 _Purple Heart raised her long curved blade._

 _Black Heart clasped her oversized sword._

 _Even so! There was a fight to be had! There was an answer to be found!_

 _At their very core they were still rivals, still warriors. The stage had changed, as had the contest, but in the end they needed to determine the winner. There could be only one._

A flurry of blows put dents into their swords. Their clashes became unbearable. Their minds had already shut off, giving way to just their ingrained movements and reflexes. This was a true battle! At the end of their path as CPUs they finally would decide.

Noire smiled almost unnoticeably. Bruises covered her face, but she didn't even flinch.

Neptune wiped some blood from her nose with a grin. She had never even winced.

They were still equal. Not even after turning human and becoming lovers did anything change. If one had the determination to truly end the other with all their strength, perhaps it was feasible to find a winner. If that was what it took to finish their journey as rivals-

 **CLANG!**

Their swords collided one last time. The tips broke off and their numb hands let go.

The katana spun in the air behind Noire.

The rapier flew in an arc behind Neptune.

Without a word they both had realized the same thing at the same time. Disarmed, they were still moving forward. Their hands were unstoppable…

Something reflected the light from the barely opened clouds. A single ray of the sun shone down on the pair and created a glow on the circular objects. A ring in each hand. An outstretched finger on each side.

Out of breath, but still completely invested they both shouted at each other with all their might!

""WILL YOU MARRY ME!?""

"Darn tootin' I will!" Neptune was showing her happiest smile of all time.

"It's not like I've been waiting for this!" Noire was tearing up.

At the same time they put rings on each other's ring fingers. In slow motion!

As if that action had finally depleted the last remains of their stamina they both fell over in fatigue. Uncaring about their appearance they fell into the dirt next to each other and held their hands up to the sky. A beautiful sparkling metallic ring was reflecting their eternal vow.

"We both lost in the end, huh?" Noire said with a happy sniff. She had a hard time keeping her composure as she tenderly rubbed the ring on her finger.

"We both totally won!" Neptune retorted. "I got the best fiancée in the world and you got an even better one."

"….yeah." Noire agreed genuinely.

" _Forever_ 's gotten a whole lot shorter now, but I can't imagine any dream girl to spend the rest of my gaming session rather with than you."

"I believe you will regret that after I've trounced you so many times."

"First to win three rounds has to do the housework!"

"Going to lose on purpose then?"

"Are you?"

"I see what you did there!"

"I'll be too busy anyway. Someone's gotta get the bread on the table." Neptune leaned her head closer to Noire and grinned.

"Your famous voice actress/singer/idol/brand designer wife will do that just fine." Noire replied with one eye closed.

"Are ya trying to turn me into sashimi with all those slashes?" Neptune giggled. "You're a big deal no matter what job, huh?"

"And you are a slacker no matter how many times you get reborn." Noire chuckled. "You'll have to pay me back plenty."

"Is the currency cuddles and pudding? Because I got _plenty_ of that."

"I'll take it… i-if you insist." She couldn't deny such an offer.

"I could also cover myself in pudding and-"

"Don't ruin it."

"Aye."

 _(To be continued)_


	17. Episode 16: The Collision

**The plot returns! With a vengeance.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 16: The Collision**

"Histy should be just ahead!" Uzume rushed towards the direction of the portal between the Zero and Hyper dimensions. After receiving Histoire's urgent call the trio had immediately started running over to where she told them to. The shining circle was slightly peeking over the corner of the Basilicom.

Behind the shockingly fast tomboy the two other girls were slowing down as they didn't have the stamina to sprint all the way. Uzume didn't notice them falling behind immediately.

"Huff… aaah…" Uni's face was covered in sweat. She was focusing on Nepgear's back in front of her. The purple haired girl was holding her hand tightly and pulled her along. It was comforting to feel her warm fingers clutched around her own.

"Gosh, Uzume is just too fast." Nepgear slowed to a halt and leaned over to catch her breath.

"I'm not that tired yet. You don't need to pretend for my sake…"

"Eh? You aren't exhausted at all? That's amazing. Your training paid off more than mine." Nepgear looked up with surprise. So she really was just worn out after all. Now Uni felt like an idiot.

"Sorry… I lied. I can't keep running anymore." Uni admitted with a guilty expression. She really wanted to be more open to at least Nepgear from here on out. That's the minimum she owed her… girlfriend.

"You are very prideful after all." Nepgear wasn't taking it badly. She just nodded in understanding. "When this is over I want to talk to you about all kinds of things." She suddenly said with determination.

"W-what?" Uni gulped.

"Your disagreement with Uzume was cleared up and I am happy about that at least." Nepgear tapped her fingers together awkwardly. "But I think you are erm… hiding more things from me. Sorry for saying something so presumptuous." Aaaand all her determination was crumbling away.

Uni couldn't disagree. In truth she had a lot of things she hid away from everyone. About the past, present and future alike. The fear of what it meant to be human, the scary dreams about losing her friends and family… All these things were something she buried.

"We have been going out for just such a short time, but I already missed so many things right in front of me. I'm a little dense, so you need to spell things out for me." Nepgear admitted. "I want to be there for you more than anyone else."

"Ne-Nepgear, can't this wait?" Uni was getting a spoonful of embarrassment with every word coming out of that honest mouth.

"No! I wanted you to know right away! Because from now on we don't hide our feelings anymore, got it?" She was incredibly close to Uni's face. Way too close!

"F-fine already!" Uni squirmed.

"I'm clumsy too and make mistakes like what happened since we got here… which is why we need to work on our relationship: _Together_." How this pure girl wasn't currently dying of embarrassment was an unsolvable mystery, but Uni took all the collateral damage.

She just realized how much she wanted to hear those words. It almost made her tear up. Why did she think it was better to keep it in? To give Nepgear space? So she would make that decision herself? Who was she to act all reserved and thoughtful at this point? Out of all the people in this world Nepgear was the one who knew the real Uni the best. The selfish and clingy Uni that couldn't let go. To wall herself up around her of all people was the stupidest thing she could have done.

"We will." She said with a slow nod.

Yes, after whatever Histoire was going to tell them they could finally become a proper couple!

They began walking again and moved to the Share Bridge together. Uzume and Histy were already waiting for them. Something was definitely wrong. Histoire didn't even need to say anything, they could already see just fine what the matter was.

"Are you sure?" Uzume asked Histy with a grim look.

"Sadly this is the only conclusion that makes sense." The tome girl was certain.

"Is something wrong with the portal?" Nepgear asked while looking at the white glowing gate. A bridge of numbers and energy was spreading behind its blue curtains. Whoever stepped through was feeling a small prickling sensation throughout their body and would then find themselves in another world. The Share Bridge resembled a wormhole more than anything.

And now this magical gate was starting to lose its luster. The edges were fringing out and a visual effect similar to the flickering of a flame engulfed it.

"Unfortunately." Histoire nodded. "The bridge is falling apart." She explained.

"But how could that be? Isn't the Share Drain holding it up?" Uni crossed her arms and acted as calm as she was able to.

"Theoretically that should still be the case…" Histy looked away.

"Does that mean the Drain has stopped?" Nepgear clapped her hands together in realization.

"Nah, I would know if that was happening, trust me." Uzume shook her head, still with that grim look. "Histy, you have to tell us everything." She urged her old friend on.

"I understand that." She was clearly forcing herself to say what was really going on. "During my scans of the dimensional void I have made no progress on finding a way to reverse the Share Drain."

"It's probably impossible." Uni said pessimistically.

"Don't say that Unisy. We can't give up so soon!"

"She may be correct." Histoire suddenly interjected. "But it doesn't matter anymore."

"What?" The trio looked at her in shock. Histoire, the one who was the most determined to find a solution, said it was meaningless?!

"The me form the Ultra dimension has been doing her own research on the dimensional balance." She went through her platinum blonde hair with one shaking hand. "The results are horrific." She finally lost the color from her face.

"How bad are we talking?" Uzume stayed surprisingly firm despite the grave atmosphere.

"Unimaginable destruction." Histy replied. Just as the words left her mouth an ominous rumble went through the city. In the distance they could see dust clouds growing over the edges of the dimension.

"That isn't good." Uni squinted her eyes.

"…" Histoire was hesitant. After another loud rumble she couldn't stay silent anymore. "The Zero dimension is on collision course with Gamindustri."

"No way!" Nepgear and Uni were equally shocked.

"So that's what Vertsy meant."

"You knew?" Histoire's eyes widened.

"I kinda listened in on some of your and Vertsy's talk." She faced the portal with furrowed brows. "Something about this dimension getting destroyed and crashing into Gamindustri."

"H-how horrible…!" Nepgear covered her mouth in shock.

"I was blind. Perhaps I didn't want to believe it, because the information came from Croire." Histy lowered her head. "My Ultra dimension counterpart's eyes were unclouded, so she realized it just in time. The void is swallowing this dimension. It grew without us noticing, silently." And deadly. "If they are really going to collide the results will be unpredictable. Unintended fusions will take place and break down the fabric of reality. It wouldn't be fatal if they simply drifted past each other as I originally predicted, but all the data says that a direct impact is unavoidable now."

The news were harsh. Unthinkable.

"How much time do we have left?" Uni asked with cold sweat on her forehead.

"Almost none. The quakes you felt are a sign of the deterioration process. The portal is already fading due to the unstable abyss-"

"How do we prevent that from happening?" Uzume interrupted.

Histoire's sad eyes were looking at her in endless sympathy. That look told her more than words.

"If the Zero dimension disappeared… there would be nothing that could collide." Uni dryly formed the words that nobody wanted to hear. The girls looked at her in disbelief. The conclusion was certainly correct, but it was unacceptable! "I don't like this either! I'm just saying what everyone's thinking!" She defended herself nervously.

"We can't even _think_ that! That's not how we do things. Sis wouldn't allow that to happen-"

"You destroyed the Heart dimension even though it meant killing Uzume!" Uni didn't allow her to act delusional now.

"!" Nepgear looked truly hurt by those words. That was a traumatic memory to her.

"And Nepsy ain't here." Uzume added with a stern voice.

"Uzume?! You can't mean-"

"Of course not! I won't let my home get destroyed." Uzume retorted.

"If this deterioration continues the Zero dimension will most likely be almost destroyed before the impact." Histoire added another problematic fact to the list. "I can't find any logical way to save it…"

"Then I'll throw logic out of the equation!" Uzume declared. "Just in case we should evacuate everyone first though." She was calmer than all of them. Like a real leader she prioritized her citizens.

"You are right! I will get Umio to gather everyone at the portal immediately!" Nepgear reacted swiftly. All she needed was a call for action and she was back on her feet, even in the face of destruction.

 _ **KRSSSHK!**_

An ear-grinding sound went through the air and made them cover their hurting heads. After a good minute of overwhelming pressure the noise stopped and fizzled out. When they focused again the sight was almost too much to bear.

The Share Bridge had been destroyed.

"My predictions were thrown off again… I didn't expect it to fade so soon." Histoire looked up to the remaining sparks in the air with dark clouds over her head.

Now they were stranded in this dimension. Nobody could escape.

"W-what do we do now?!" Uni panicked.

Histy closed her eyes.

 _No matter what happens to this dimension or us… please make sure that Uzume will make it through this alive._

Umio's words were still stuck in her mind. Just like the promise she had made to him on that day. Was now the time to act on those words?

"Please listen to me one more time…" The tiny Oracle got their attention. "With the power of Uzume's Shares and my calculation I am able to create another gateway."

"Heavens, is that true?! That would be perfect!" Nepgear's eyes flashed up with hope.

Histoire's face was covered in shadow.

"The abyss will make my calculations unstable. In other words, the gateway can only be held up for a few seconds. It will only be able to transport _a handful of people_." Her somber words crushed all their hopes on the spot. The four of them and including Rom and Ram who were still inside the Basilicom that would be the maximum of escapees. All who didn't belong to this dimension.

Histoire hated herself for even suggesting this plan. To protect Uzume's smile saving just them would never be enough. If this dimension got destroyed, if her friends here died…

To protect Uzume's smile they would need to save **everyone**.

Yet that wasn't an option! Loss was a terrible thing. It hurt almost more than anyone could bear! The pain was deep and would last long… but it _would_ heal eventually. She had the wisdom to see this. Umio had seen this as well. That is why he made her promise. What a terrible act of selflessness. The monster citizens from this dimension truly loved Uzume more than she could have ever imagined.

Her words were agonizing, no doubt. Uni averted her face. Nepgear shook in powerlessness. Histoire looked back to the red-head with pleading eyes.

"Hey Histy." Uzume spoke up suddenly.

"Yes?" She needed to listen to her complaints until the end.

"I learned a lot about what being a real CPU is all about the last few weeks." She turned to them with a smile. This reaction was so out of place that the others froze in confusion. "I got like, so much support from everyone. It's crazy if you think about it. The Oracles, Gearsy, Unisy, the twins and a bunch more were giving me a kind hand."

She was really thanking them right now?

"There is also gramps who remembered me and granny who said she missed me…" Uzume recollected her meetings with all the old people in Gamindustri who still had vague memories of the unaltered world, before Uzume erased herself. "When I was travelling around I felt a little bit nostalgic. I love Gamindustri just as much as this place I think." She laughed.

"…" Histoire was choking up in response to those words.

"So I can't let that collision happen." It was an unbreakable statement.

Was she prepared to accept the consequences then…? All of them could not believe their ears.

"But, ya know? I'm the CPU of both dimensions now. I'd be a poor excuse for one if I let this place get destroyed. So I'll protect them equally." She raised her fist to the sky.

"…do you have a plan?" Histy asked hopelessly. She couldn't bear seeing Uzume struggle anymore.

To her surprise Uzume nodded.

"I will tear a hole in that space so big that this place will fit into it and crash straight into Gamindustri!"

"What?"

"Uhhh…."

"Excuse me?"

Nobody understood Uzume's plan just as expected. She chuckled in response to their dumbfounded expressions.

Then without another word she leaped up to the Basilicom's outer wing. From there she kept jumping from edge to edge until she reached the top of the spire. Super-human feats were par for the course by now, but what was she trying to do?

The CPU looked over the home that she wished to protect with her outstretched hands. She burnt the image into her retinas.

"I have to go all out this time!" Her irises were flaring up with energy and turned into the shape of power buttons. A pillar of energy and numbers was washing across her body and enveloped the entire Basilicom for just a moment. At the center of this immense glow appeared Orange Heart reborn!

"Uzume…" Umio was looking up from the plaza in the middle of the town. He was surrounded by the children who stared at their CPU with curiosity and awe.

Orange Heart was pulsing with power. The tiny bit she had exerted in the mountains was already filled up again. Like a drop of water on a hot stone, it had made no difference to the increasing heat of the Shares. The portal had dissipated due to the instability of the void, but the Shares kept coming to Uzume like she was a polar opposite magnet.

A building in the distance began to crumble. The quakes continued to grow in intensity and started to destroy the fundaments of the city and lands all across the dimension. Histoire's predictions were accurate. At this rate the Zero dimension was going to be destroyed before it could even reach Gamindustri. The citizens were fleeing towards the center, afraid of the crumbling streets and falling trees. The sight was heartrending to her.

As if she had even needed another push.

Her wings took her even above the spire of the Basilicom and into the purple ominous skies. The very atmosphere was being taken apart by the void. She hadn't noticed how dark the world had gotten in the last few minutes. The higher she ascended, the worse the air got. Like a toxin slowly seeping into an open wound it spread uncontrollably. The world was dying…

Her right arm was raised high. The small shield covered her face.

"Uzume's heart beats like crazy! She can do it, for Gearsy and Unisy and Histy and Nepsy and everyone else!" The faces of all her friends and all the people she had met since she awakened from her seal flashed before her inner eye.

The power that was trying to tear her very being apart was flowing into her core. Maybe she would be destroyed by it soon. But before she broke, before she tore apart…!

"SHAAAARE FIEEEEELD!"

The sky and earth rumbled alike! These weren't the quakes of the abyss, but the light of hope that was enveloping everything. Everyone's hairs were standing up from the electrifying power that was gathered around her. Sparks were creating a pattern of lightning in the air that made it look like Orange Heart was chaining the world to herself.

" **ACTIVAAAAATE!** "

Orange Heart shouted her lungs out with her soft, yet determined voice!

In an instant all the built up energy was released in a shockwave that split the dimensional barrier apart and formed a new layer of dark blue and white. The entire landmass was surrounded by a crystal like vision…

With a bell like sound the Zero dimension was now forced into Orange Heart's personal pocket dimension.

Her raised arm was shaking, but it never lowered.

"S-she… created a Share Field of _this size_?" Nepgear was astonished.

"The intense amounts of energy required for this feat are…" Histoire trailed off with her eyes agape.

"We really underestimated the power of faith." Uni smiled wryly as she watched on in disbelief.

All the Shares of Gamindustri and this dimension were flowing into that Share Field. Perhaps this was the true power of the sole ruling CPU. If one person could hold this much power, they would certainly be unrivaled. No wonder Rei Ryghts had been this strong with just a fragment of her original power. The people had rebelled and lost their faith, but she had still been a monster. Now Uzume, unlike her, was truly the embodiment of the world.

The blue darkness surrounding and encaging their world was calming somehow.

"What the heck is going on?!" Suddenly Rom and Ram came running out of the Basilicom, completely confused by the changed world.

"Uzume is trying to save us." Umio had brought the children to the Basilicom already and looked up alongside the twins.

"Miss Uzume is…?" Rom held her hands together. Instinctively she knew that something big was happening around them.

"This is like her super-power right? Who's she trying to catch? Some baddy?" Ram had question marks above her head. They had seen the Share Field before, but never this big or dense before. For magic sensitive girls like them this feeling was hard to peg.

"I fear this enemy is not someone who can be caught or beaten." Umio floated unsteadily. His smooth voice was tinged in sadness.

Far up, almost just a dot on everyone's eyes, Orange Heart was gasping for air. At first she had felt relief at the release of her full power, but then the backlash inevitably came. She had utterly overstrained her powers and her body was screaming in pain and despair. The sweat on her skin felt like fire, the wind grazing her body like the blades of swords.

Her vision was shaking. The strain on her mind was so strong that she almost forgot who she was.

No. She wasn't done yet. Not as long as that thing was still in front of her.

A distortion appeared in the air. Like an unholy red spider-web it crept across the barrier. The cusp of the horizon was covered in its strings and evil poison. Her power button eyes reflected the red lines.

"W-what is that?" Nepgear watched the distortion with a bad feeling.

"I think it is the abyss trying to break open the Share Field." Histoire replied uncertain.

The ringing of something in her head almost made her heart stop. An incoming interdimensional call at this time?

"Hello? …getting… to you?" The cutesy voice of mini-Histy vibrated in the air for everyone to hear.

"You can reach us here?" Histoire was perplexed. She had really underestimated her counterpart.

"Yes! It seems… void is spreading… From this side it appears to be trying to absorb your dimension… covered in a barrier?"

"It is a pocket dimension wrapped around the Zero dimension." Histoire explained.

"-zing…! But it appears… The anomaly is right in front of you!" She send her the coordinates on the side.

"Thank you for telling us." Histy was actually grateful for that information. From inside she had a hard time scanning the beyond.

"Is there… do something… Please!"

"I apologize, but this is as far as you can help us. Hopefully we will be able to talk again one day." Histoire cut the call. She knew how much Ultra Histy had to overexert herself to keep this communication line going.

"What is 'the anomaly'?" Nepgear asked afraid to find out about another nightmare.

"The anomaly is the void left by the Heart dimension. It is the abyss that tries to claim us right now. The Share Field Uzume created is protecting us from its decay, but it can't pass through that void. It is blocking our path until the Share Field breaks. The dimensional mechanics are… extremely advanced." She had a hard time explaining the details to them. "The entire dimension is inverted now and that leads to a whole new slew of problems-"

"Uhm… the abridged version please." Uni raised a hand in defeat.

"Uzume has bought us time, but we can't escape the grasp of the void." The Oracle said dejectedly.

"You are wrong Histy!" Orange Heart's voice reached across the distance, amplified many times by the echoes in the Share Field. Her ears must have been super sensitive as well! "Uzume is going to make a hole now!"

A hole? She had said the same thing before. Something about tearing a hole into 'it' and passing through to Gamindustri-

"U-Uzume, _you can't_!" Histoire turned deathly pale at the realization of what Uzume was trying to do. "The repercussions of such an act are impossible to calculate! If you tear the void apart it might even destroy everything-!"

"If Uzume stops now it is going to be destroyed anyway!" The orange haired goddess declared with all her resolution.

"…!" Histoire couldn't bring herself to deny that. With shivering lips she held on to her face. "2 hours." She pressed out grimly.

"What happens in two hours?" Uni asked on edge.

"That will be the optimal time to attempt this plan. When the dimensions line up perfectly." Her eyes were filled with data and she said this with utmost certainty. "Can you keep up the Share Field for that long?"

Orange Heart nodded silently.

"I will bet everything on your strength then. We will break through the void while the Share Field still protects us and then we will reach Gamindustri!" Histoire stopped hesitating. It was unbefitting of Planeptune's Oracle to doubt her CPU!

"Huh? Wait a second though? So are we going to crash into there anyway? Isn't that going to destroy both dimensions!?" Uni waved her hands around.

"The Share Field should prevent a harmful collision. At the very least there is a higher possibility of creating a controlled impact." She wasn't sugarcoating things. This would still lead to devastation. But maybe it would not lead to the end of either world.

"I wish we could do something…" Nepgear clutched her fists.

"Believe in Uzume." Histy replied while the numbers flowed across her eyes.

Nepgear knew that she was doing her best to calculate that perfect path and impact line. Histy was downplaying her own contribution. It upset her. It upset her how powerless she was!

"Nepgear?!" Uni watched as the ex-CPU Candidate ran off into the city with a pitiful expression. "You don't have to blame yourself so much…!" They were all the same, right? Why did she have to act as if she was the only one fed up with her weakness?

"I will apologize to Nepgear later... Uni, I need you to do something." Histy turned to the raven haired girl.

"? I will do whatever I can."

"Then please take your N-Gear and connect it to me. I will create a line to the Hyper dimension. Please tell whoever you can reach to evacuate the place I'm about to specify..."

* * *

"Crosty, let's go!" Big Nep flapped the Nep-Note around.

"Shut it already! This isn't freaking simple summation! I need to get the damn coordinates right inside a double layered pocket dimension you stupid broad! Why do I need ta move your sorry ass to a decaying place like that anyways?!" She complained.

"'cause they need our help! Just get us there and then we will figure out the rest!"

"You know they're gonna die, right? Even I can't do shit to the abyss-"

" **Even so**." Big Nep wasn't deterred. Her black hoodie dress shook as she spun around to shoot another monster with her twin guns.

"...I don't get stupid people." Croire sighed and kept gathering energy for the dimensional jump.

"Strangely sexy looking Lady Neptune!" A bunch of Guild members came running her way.

"' _Strangely_ '?" She pouted.

"You saved us! The monsters are going berserk all over the nation, but somehow we are holding out with your help."

"You're just trying to butter me up~" She laughed in an exaggerated shy manner.

"Whatever you wish!" They bowed their heads to her. "You saved our lives, so we will fight under your command." The men and women offered themselves up.

"Geh!? I'm not really the responsible type. I'd rather not become a party leader!" She crossed her arms.

"But… (unfortunately) busty Lady Neptune! The monsters are going to destroy Planeptune if you don't stop them!" They all guilt tripped her with their pleading gazes.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure someone just said 'unfortunate' and I'm all for individual taste-buds and stuff, but that's just rude."

"Please, I will even start to pray to your bustiness from now on!"

"We love the grown up Lady Neptune as well!" The Planeptunian guild members forced themselves to adore the new image of their beloved CPU. It was visibly hurting some of them.

"She is in Lady Purple Heart mode all the time now… how _delightful_." And others were staring at her dirtily.

"Mini-me has some interesting fans…" She sighed. "Crosty stop your math magic thingamajig."

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS! I _just_ finished the preparations in bitchin' record time!"

"…I have to believe in Uzume instead. It looks like there are some rare specimen that need to be caught by the trusty Nep-Note. Prepare yourself, 'cause it's gonna get cramped in there~" She ran ahead into the distant group of monsters that was approaching the city she had been staying in. The Guild members rallied up behind her and followed her into battle.

All across Gamindustri the monster population was going insane. The cataclysmic collision was driving them mad. This scene repeated itself in Lastation, Leanbox and Lowee alike. Everywhere warriors, adventurers, hunters and soldiers gathered up to protect their homes with all their might. Since the attack of the delusional monsters over a year ago they had trained for this kind of skirmish.

Both dimensions were facing a threat that could mean the end of the world once again.

 _(To be continued)_


	18. Episode 17: Countdown

**I finally managed to include her into a chapter. Yay.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 17: Countdown**

The Gamindustri Graveyard was a ghastly place filled with dead earth and deep scars in the corrupted mountains. Its sky was always covered in a purple hue and darkness. Countless wires and broken machines were scattered across the mountains of trash and barely coherent skeletons of buildings. At the southern edge of this inhospitable place shady people had build a coliseum for the brave and reckless to fight dangerous monsters. All for the entertainment of the rowdy and bloodthirsty crowds that were looked down upon in their nations.

Of course the CPUs had put an end to the illegal gambling ring and turned the place into an official training arena ages ago. Now a test of skill under strict supervision could be taken in its grounds at any time.

At the center of the graveyard lay the reason for its namesake. Company Mascots that had been abandoned and lost to time. Engulfed in eternal sleep. It was a grim reminder to everyone that success was not guaranteed to last.

Incidentally the few people who did live here or where working at the previously mentioned coliseum were currently being evacuated. The monsters that were usually roaming the wasteland had gone on a stampede directed at the villages in the distance, so the graveyard was unusually silent, making it all the more eerie. So why did it have to be evacuated then?

"Please take shelter in a nearby city. This place will be in extreme danger soon!" Chika was walking through the uneasy crowds and yelled at them.

"It's always been a dangerous place gal. What's the big deal?" An old man with a grey beard spat out in response to her rallying.

"You can curl up in your rundown trash heap if you want. If you prefer to be smashed like an overly ripe tomato that is." Chika's red eyes were only passing him as she kept moving, but it was enough to make the old man back away in fear.

"Slow down Chika. You are intimidating these poor people unnecessarily." Vert was also with her Oracle. She made calming gestures towards the riled up crowd and pointed them towards the evacuation routes.

"They aren't worth the trouble! We need to finish this quickly so you don't get caught up in the impact my darling Vert!" Chika had her own priorities.

Half an hour ago they had received a call from Uni in the Zero dimension. Her summary of the situation was less than encouraging. Vert never could put Croire's warning out of the back of her mind. Apparently she should have acted more on that prophecy. To put it all on Histoire's tiny shoulders was a mistake in retrospective. Now that the worst case scenario had reared its ugly head she had no time for regrets though.

According to Histy's calculations the Zero dimension would collide with Gamindustri in a little less than an hour. And the impact point was exactly in the Gamindustri Graveyard. Their reaction time was commendable. In such a short time Chika had called as many supporters as possible to evacuate the place. Many of their friends were currently going to the houses and arena to get the suspicious and doubtful inhabitants to safety. Sometimes even with force. It was hard to find able people to help them in the first place as the monster attacks everywhere were straining their resources.

The south was almost taken care of by now. They were perfectly on schedule, all things considered. The Leanbox duo was heading deeper into the desolate graveyard to search for any more stragglers.

"…I don't care how many of them there are, get them outta here." An angry voice echoed across the canyon and demanded their attention. It was all too familiar.

"B-but Lady Blanc, shouldn't we take care of the living first?" The bulky hunter in complete black armor was visibly sweating from what they could see in the opening of his helmet. The graveyard was incredibly hot, which probably made him feel like he was roasted alive.

"Someone's taking care of them already." Blanc replied with certainty. She was currently moving down the pit in which the sleeping mascots were resting.

"I'm sorry, but we can't carry all of them-"

"Strip." Blanc replied coldly.

"Eeeek! A-as you wish!" He unfastened his heavy black armor until he was standing in front of her with just his boxers. They had a heart motive. Classic.

"Now you feel lighter, right?" Blanc didn't even look at his chiseled abs and just started throwing unconscious mascot characters at the poor hunter. He barely managed to catch them before they hit him (or the ground). "You can at least carry twice as many now. Get the rest to do the same."

"W-what if the monsters come back? We need our gear to defend-" He protested weakly.

"Are you really calling yourself a freaking warrior? You will find a way." She glared up at him and pointed at the direction of the other hunters.

"Yes ma'am!" He didn't have any room to salute with all the bodies in his arms, but he was making his obedience clear enough by his immediate turn around and sprint towards the exit.

"I swear they let anyone join these days…" Blanc clicked her tongue and climbed out of the pit. In the same moment she pulled herself up a hand was reaching her way.

"Good work." Vert was looking at her without showing off any particular emotion.

"…thanks." Blanc took her hand with an equally neutral expression.

"My my, I had not thought of saving them as well. Am I to assume that the north has been evacuated by your people already?" The blonde girl crossed her arms below her bosom and inquired about the situation.

"All done. So you guys were taking care of the south…" Blanc dusted her coat off and loosened her shoulder.

Uni had contacted the both of them first it seemed. She hadn't been able to reach Neptune and Noire for some reason, but the remaining ex-CPUs were more than enough to take care of a simple evacuation.

"In that case we are almost finished. It is a blessing in all the misfortune." Vert nodded approvingly.

"We still got about an hour, so let's also try to save the historical stuff that's lying around this trash heap." Blanc was adamant about saving every speck of history that was resting in this place.

"Very well. The soldiers have not been pushed to their limit quite yet. S-sha is already on her way here as we speak."

"Always got something up your sleeve, huh?"

"A lady can never be too cautious."

They discussed everything swiftly and pragmatically. In times of crises they could act like a well oiled machine. Under their leadership the situation was handled in record time.

"Grrrr…" Behind Vert stood Chika, barely hiding her oppressive aura of disdain as she was biting her nail.

"What's her deal?" Blanc asked with dull eyes.

"She has gotten her hands on some… problematic information and has been rather cranky ever since." Vert replied vaguely. She could probably feel the penetrating stare from her self-declared little sister all too well, but chose not to give attention to it.

"I see?" Blanc didn't really get it.

"Big sister! Haven't you wasted your breath on this vile maiden defiler long enough? Let us return to the exit and go as far away from this cursed place as possible!" Chika hated the Gamindustri Graveyard ever since Vert had been imprisoned there for three whole years, but right now she seemed even more dismayed by Blanc's presence.

"The heck did you just call me?" Blanc squinted her eyes with animosity.

"Do you deny your crime?!" Chika jumped out from behind Vert's back and looked down on the short-haired girl.

"Like I said, what the hell are you blabbering about?" Small or not, Blanc's presence was still as rigid as that of a dragon.

"My, look at that. It seems the evacuees in the southwest are falling behind. Chika, be a dear and take care of them please." Vert interjected smoothly.

"But Vert, I have to-"

" _Immediately_. We are strained for time as you are aware." Her firm smile was hard to object to.

Chika's shoulders shook for a moment as she gritted her teeth… then she ran off towards the direction Vert had specified.

"I wasn't done with her either." Blanc's light blue eyes were following the green haired woman until she disappeared.

"This isn't the time to act childish. Let us check at the center of the graveyard for now." Much calmer than her small friend, Vert already kept moving on.

Begrudgingly Blanc agreed and followed behind the fluttering green dress. At the corner of their vision they saw the almost naked hunters run towards the pit and carrying as many mascots as they could manage.

* * *

The silence between them had only gotten more oppressive the longer they searched the area. They were entirely focused on the task or at least they were telling themselves that. A shadow loomed over their short exchanges though and it was becoming harder to look at each other.

What stood between them was certainly the same thing that had put Chika in such a sour mood as well.

"Blanc I-" Vert was unable to stay silent about it any longer, but just as she spoke up they passed a hill and were greeted by the entrance to a bizarre building.

"Who build this in the middle of nowhere?" Lowee's former CPU grunted.

A mansion was stretching out before their eyes. The door and windows were fancy, yet somehow reminiscent of an evil grotesque face. The rooftop was jagged and decrepit and the porch had seen better days as well (or perhaps not, this was the Gamindustri Graveyard after all.).

All in all the term 'haunted mansion' popped into one's head immediately when faced with this monstrosity.

"You think some freak lives here? Maybe an old lord whose servants serve even in death?" Blanc let her curiosity take over.

"If that is the case then his prices are outrageous." Vert replied ahead of her.

"Huh?" She followed her line of sight and noticed a big sign. In smudged red letters a list of entrance fees and dates. "Wait, this is an actual haunted house attraction?" She could barely believe it.

"Apparently so. How fortuitous for us, today the price is off by half." She smiled happily.

"I don't think there is a nutjob that would seriously work here." Blanc shook her head and pointed at the old mansion to underline her point. In just that moment a shade was moving past the broken front window. The world seemed to have fun proving her wrong.

"We should inform this diligent worker of the situation, don't you think?" The blonde girl was thankfully not commenting on Blanc's embarrassing display and chose to knock on the door.

"Yeah sure…" She twisted her mouth in shame and moved behind Vert.

There wasn't any response from the door. In fact all that happened was that it creaked while shaking on its rusty hinges. It ominously opened by itself, revealing only a unlit hallway.

"We aren't here for a tour." Blanc shouted into the darkness. "Come out or something bad will happen!"

"Your tact astounds me as usual." Vert sighed.

Because of the silence and lack of reaction they were forced to enter the mansion after all. And what a mansion it was! The foyer was even more rundown than the outside. In fact one might deduce that this place had been filled with nothing but garbage found in the surrounding area. The front had looked almost state of the art compared to the insides.

"Come out already, wherever you are." Blanc kept yelling unabashedly.

"Who is the true horror movie stalker? It boggles the mind." Vert commented dryly.

"Could ya stop saying stupid stuff and help me catch that naughty little mouse already?"

"You are doing this on purpose, yes?"

They kept making small talk, so they didn't notice the encroaching shadow behind their backs. Right as they were about to open a door to the room where nightly soirees were held, suddenly two paws were laid on their shoulders.

Paws?

"Kekeke. You've fallen into my trap!" The figure cackled darkly.

"Oh, it wasn't a mouse. It's a rat." Blanc corrected herself when she turned around to see the giant rat holding on to them.

"Frankly I am shocked how close your guess was." Vert said impressed.

"Huh? You ain't supposed to be that calm when I grab yer… Wait don't I know you?" The giant rat was talking with the muffled voice of a girl.

"I don't associate with rats." Vert denied her claim strongly.

"Didn't we beat the crap out of that one talking rat all the time a while back?"

"He was barely registered as an encounter." Vert shrugged.

"Y-you… THE GODDAMN BROAAADS!?" The rat person (who was now revealed to be wearing a costume) was backing away in horror. The roles truly had been reversed. Before she could run off Blanc grabbed on to her tail, which made the rat's face rapidly kiss the floor hello.

"That voice is annoyingly familiar." Blanc murmured.

The suit was already tearing apart from the force of her pulling. In the ripped back a person was squirming around before bursting into the open. Despite having left the rat suit, her head was covered by another rat-like layer. Green hair spiked out of the hoodie she was wearing. Her midriff was very exposed, showing off her almost gray skin. A little higher one could see her rather flat chest that could even compete with Blanc's for maximum aerodynamics.

"Aha! The culprit was you all along!" Vert exclaimed randomly.

"Kuh… my bloody nose…" The girl was holding her red nose that had so harshly made acquaintance with the ground.

"I remember you." Blanc claimed.

"Indeed. She is the underling that has been working for ASIC back then. She is… her name is…" Vert cupped her chin with one hand. "Oh yes. _Underling_."

"Ya didn't even try to remember my name!" Underling complained with eyes moist from pain.

"How rude. I am nearly certain that I never heard it in the first place."

"True. We just kinda beat the snot outta you and moved on." Blanc agreed.

"You friggin' assholes… My name is LINDA! L-I-N-D-A! That self-righteous poochie made everyone call me by that degrading name and now nobody takes me seriously anymore…!" She slammed her fist on the wooden floor.

"Pretty sure that's because you are such a peon." Blanc shrugged.

"I am honestly a little confounded as to why you would run a haunted house in this place."

"Well you vacuum brains killed my employers, so I had to go jobbing everywhere for money. People don't want to hire branded criminals like me, so I had to become a lackey for the crazy guy running this place… Wait why am I tellin' you my damn life story?!"

"Once an underling, always an underling." Blanc commented unsympathetically.

"Gaaah! Did ya come here just to mock me again!?"

"We do not have time for such extravagant harassment." Vert said with furrowed brows. "A disaster is about to take place in this location. The entire area may soon be destroyed, so we came to get you out of here-"

"What… did you… say?" Linda was unable to follow.

"Don't be difficult. We're going to drag you off if we have to." Blanc's white coat swayed as she stretched her hand after Linda.

"You killed _her_ … you destroyed everything we believed in… and now you want to even tarnish _her_ resting place?" She was losing her composure, however little she had left. There was a slight difference between her usual pissed off attitude and the depth of rage that was now bubbling up inside her very core. "Shitty CPUs just keeping taking things from me…"

"We would not have to treat you this way if you stopped involving yourself with shady operations." Vert retorted swiftly. She didn't like where this was going.

"Why is not even this place safe from your cruelty…? **I won't let you violate her grave**!" Linda stood up while tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes. They weren't from physical pain anymore.

In the blink of an eye she pulled an iron pipe from her back and threw it at the two ex-goddesses with all her strength. Vert gracefully dodged the rotating projectile.

At the same time Linda ran off towards the exit. If there was one thing she was good at it was running away.

"Heavens, she is never going to grow up if she keeps blaming society for her problems." She supported her face on one hand and sighed. She expected Blanc to also make a comment on the escape, but no sarcastic words came.

Vert turned around just to see Blanc collapsed on the floor with a big bump on her head. Her white hat was rolling away from her body. She had been hit by the pipe that Vert dodged.

* * *

The first thing she noticed was an all surrounding darkness. Consciousness had returned, but she was still not 'awake'. Slow breathing accompanied the occasional quakes in her perception. Something akin to a stinging pain was flaring up in the back of her head every time the world rumbled around her.

Soon her mind resurfaced from this featureless space and her hearing returned. What she heard was the blowing of the breeze and rustling of clothes. Every so often she could hear the exhaling of another person.

Finally her eyes opened as well. The soft sensation across her arms and face finally became real and she realized that she was staring at someone's back. Those slender shoulders her chin was leaning on felt like the edge of a pushed up pillow. And when she moved her eyes downwards she saw…. Some big shaking cleavage.

"Oh my, have you finally decided to return to me?"

Vert's elegant voice was kinda grating to hear while the pain from the head injury pulsated across Blanc's head. This wasn't a sight that Blanc fancied waking up to either. Now that she had her sense back she noticed that her legs were being held up by the blonde girl's ladylike arms as well. This was the rumored 'piggyback ride'.

They were still moving across the graveyard, but there was no sign of the haunted mansion. Meaning Vert had carried her quite a ways.

"Who said you could just pick me up like that?!" She complained half indignant and half embarrassed. She struggled in Vert's grip, but pain flared up when she shook her head during the flailing, making her sink right back onto the taller girl's back.

"Would you have preferred staying on the moldy floor? I admit the prospect was attractive to me, but I decided against it." She joked casually.

"…I'm not going to repay your troubles, just so you know." Blanc closed her eyes in annoyance.

"What trouble do you speak of? You are light as a feather." Vert chuckled. During that motion her heavy looking chest wobbled about.

"Are ya sayin' I've got nothing to weigh me down?!" Blanc's right eye turned red and her arms tightened around Vert's throat.

"W-what has suddenly gotten into you…cough…. Cease that at once-" Vert coughed and had a hard time keeping balance while Blanc shook her. She managed to lock Blanc's hands down between her armpits to stop her struggle. Now slightly annoyed she continued. "You should be thankful that our roles are not reversed."

Blanc tried to imagine that…. If she carried Vert on her back instead…

"Damn it." She was absolutely right. That would have been a hundred times worse.

"If you wish to be let down I will not hesitate to let you go of course." Vert suddenly loosened her arm lock and Blanc inadvertently fell off her back and straight on her butt.

"Ouch…! Careful with the injured!" The small ex-CPU rubbed her behind and staggered back to her feet. The bump on her head was hurting a lot more than her butt though, so she could ignore the sudden fall in favor of holding her head. "I'm going to kill that underling. And then I'm going to use a revival spell so I can kill her again."

"I feel partly responsible because I evaded her attack. If you would split the blame what would her remaining punishment be?" Vert tilted her head in exasperation.

"Death penalty." Blanc retorted. She wasn't serious of course, but her mood was below terrible today.

"Forgive and be forgiven as I always say."

"You never said that in your life."

"You should heed those words nonetheless." She crossed her arms and started walking ahead.

"…" Now that the rage had settled and they were out of work mode Blanc suddenly became overly conscious of Vert's presence. She was glad that she could only see her back right now.

"We have half an hour left until the countdown reaches zero. Let us pick up the underling and leave with haste."

"Huh? We're actually going to search for that brat?" Blanc caught up and rubbed her bump carefully.

"There is no need to 'search'. I already know where she went." The blonde ex-goddess pointed down the slope. At the foot of the valley was a single gravestone, surrounded by all kinds of old discs and machinery. This wasn't awfully far from that horrible place they had been tied up in for several years…

Sitting in front of the grave was none other than Linda. She was holding her knees against her face and kept mumbling ominously.

"Whose grave is that?" Vert asked.

"Noneya business!" She yelled angrily.

"Hey peon, you forgot something back at the mansion." Blanc yelled back.

"Don't call me a friggin' peon-!" She turned around, just in time to receive an iron pipe to the forehead. "BWAGH!"

Blanc wiped her hands of dirt and nodded satisfied. She had thrown the pipe with all of her excess rage and now she felt refreshed.

"Argh… that hurt like _shit_! Are you a psycho?!" Linda rolled on the ground while holding her forehead. Strangely enough the damage was completely superficial. She had taken so many beatings in her life that this little was barely leaving an impact beyond some well deserved pain. To show off her toughness she immediately jumped up again and complained at them.

"You're the only one with issues if you seriously wanna stay here until everything goes to hell!" Blanc pointed back at her.

"What do you know about me?! If you want to destroy this place then you've gotta go through me!"

"We aren't trying to destroy anything. It's complicated." Blanc gritted her teeth.

"Yeah right!"

They were at an impasse. Linda had no intention of leaving.

"Did you make this grave for CFW Magic?" Vert's question caught both of them completely off-guard.

"Is that what this is about?" Blanc huffed and averted her face.

"H-how did you…?" Linda shook her head vehemently. "That's right! I'm honoring her memory. Got a problem with that?" Her rebellious glare was undermined by shaking lips.

"That would explain why you chose a job in such an abandoned place." Vert concluded.

"N-nah, I just like scaring the shit out of suckers who think they are tough stuff!" She denied her conclusion a little too strongly.

"I am relieved to know that you have some decency inside you after all." The blonde girl smiled faintly. "But that grave is empty, isn't it?"

"Who cares? This is about principle!"

"I understand. Then if this place gets destroyed you just need to make a new one." Vert's gaze turned sharper.

Linda bent over and cackled derisively. She then pulled up her iron pipe from the ground.

"How 'bout I smash you broads instead? Maybe I'll get to avenge her before everything goes to hell." She went into a battle stance and grinned with desperation.

"People like her never learn." Blanc cracked her fist and moved one step ahead, but she was pulled back by Vert outstretched hand.

"If we defeat you, will you come along without a fuss?"

"Over my cold dead body."

"I expected as much." Vert lightly walked ahead, straight into Linda's range.

Blanc watched with an uneasy feeling. That underling was tenacious and she had shown before that she had no qualms using dirty tricks. Her killing intent was also the real deal. Vert was by no means helpless, but she wasn't a CPU anymore either…

"Time to crack some skulls!" Linda swung her pipe around in a wild barrage. Compared to her haphazard throw from before this was much faster and nigh impossible to dodge.

 **Grab.**

The pipe hit Vert's open palm with full force. It looked incredibly painful. But Vert closed it forcefully and held on to the pipe with pure strength. Linda tried to pull out, but was unable to make it budge.

Vert's blue eyes looked down on the girl in a rat hoodie… and then she hand chopped her neck with her free hand. Linda fainted on the spot. Her limp body fell forward into Vert's arms. She threw the pipe away and pulled Linda over.

"That was easy." Blanc commented and took a look at the almost peaceful expression on the knocked out girl's face.

"Carry her for me if you would." Vert handed Linda to the brown haired girl.

"…sure." Blanc nodded and gave Linda a piggyback ride. She did not complain, seeing how red and swollen Vert's hand looked after she pulled off the white glove. Also carrying someone with the same 'figure' on her back wasn't as aggravating. "In the end you just used force as well." She pointed out though.

"A swift and complete victory will allow her to live with herself. If you two had a dragged out brawl we would all have been caught in the collision." She justified her actions curtly. Wasn't there something else to it though?

"Crap…." Blanc suddenly had a shadow cross her face.

"What now?"

"She's got more than I expected." She said quietly as Linda's chest pressed against her back.

Vert couldn't help but relieve all her tension and chuckle quietly.

* * *

Just a few minutes were left until the two hours would end. The groups under the ex-CPUs control had evacuated everyone and even retrieved most things with historical value as well. The owners of the coliseum had resisted for the longest time, until S-sha came in and smacked them across the head with her shield until they begged for mercy.

Linda was put inside one of the tents prepared for the evacuees that couldn't make it to the cities in time. The surrounding area was probably safer anyway, considering all monsters had fled already.

Lowee's hunters were unable to retrieve their gear in time and now watched with tears as their hard earned loot was going to be erased from existence. They made quite the spectacle to the other groups. Lowee's guild would henceforth be associated with this appearance and referred to as the 'Undie Crew'.

"I ain't going to miss that place." Blanc said from her position on top of a wooden chest.

"Are those words coming from the same person that wanted to preserve all its historical value?" Vert smiled wryly and sipped on her cup of tea. Chika had ordered Leanbox's squadron to bring some along.

"Whatever…" Blanc kept looking at the ominous sky above the Gamindustri Graveyard. Their mission was fulfilled and everything on their side was accomplished perfectly. The rest was up to Uzume and co.

This was the first time in weeks that she had been outside. Somehow she felt insecure. Had she already turned into a complete shut-in?

"Blanc." Vert spoke up again and sat her cup down.

"Mhm."

"…" The green clad girl looked indecisive. Something was clearly troubling her, but unlike Blanc she didn't appear to be depressed about it.

Something stood between them. That something was obviously what happened at the Summer Festival. Was now the time to address the issue?

Blanc felt anxious. It wasn't leaving the inn that made her this uncomfortable. Rather it was Vert's presence. She realized it just now.

"Nevermind." Vert stopped.

Again. Again she backed out.

"Take care." She said politely and moved towards the approaching Chika. The green haired Oracle hadn't spotted Blanc yet and that was probably for the better.

Blanc felt a strange pain in her chest. It wasn't the first time…

 _(To be continued)_


	19. Episode 18: Impact

**Oh look what time it is.**

 **It's climax time.**

* * *

 **Episode 18: Impact**

Inside the folds of the Share field time seemed to pass much slower. Of course that was just a mistake of perception, but each minute seemed to stretch on forever. Everyone was just forced to watch as Uzume floated in the sky like a shining beacon to keep this dimension safe.

The exhaustion on her face was deep and her body seemed to be shaking every now and then. Luckily the people down below couldn't see just how her sweaty face twisted.

The pain seemed to increase endlessly. Her arms were completely numb. If her boosters weren't holding her up in the air she wouldn't even be able to stand anymore. When she transformed it felt like burning iron bars had been pressed against her body, but now that she had held it for almost two hours every fiber of her being was trying to tear itself asunder. All her Shares were flowing into the Share Field, the only defense they had. As the catalyst for this miracle she had to take all of the repercussions.

"Haaah…. Huff…. Ungh…" Sweat was flowing into her eyes, she had to blink and wipe it away. The stinging from the salty fluid hitting her eyes was almost cute compared to the constant electrocutions that tortured her body. In her mind she found herself begging for it to be over soon. _Just a little more_. She kept repeating those words endlessly.

"Uzume! The two hours have passed! The perfect path is in front of us!" Histy yelled from below. Her eyes were flickering with data and she gave her the go-ahead.

"Nice~!" Orange Heart cheered and raised her tired arm again. The Share Field had received some more red cracks over the last two hours. In fact she could feel the structure starting to fall in on itself like a hollowed out orange.

This void or abyss or whatever it truly was… it had messed with her friends and people. It was time to strike back. Even if her body was going to fall apart soon!

Orange Heart held up her megaphone high above her head.

Her blue eyes sparkled with power once more. Energy swirled around her weapon and arm like a maelstrom of light.

Slowly it took form, dissipated and then reformed stronger again! The swirling motions followed the third axis and widened and stretched until they formed a magnificent drill of Share energy. With each rotation the drill grew in size and girth. By the time everyone realized what was being formed it had already grown to the size of a truck.

"More…. More… MORE!" Orange Heart concentrated even more power into the weapon she pictured in her mind. She need more power, more energy, more determination than that! What she was going to drill through was not of this world and it wasn't even matter. Malicious destruction incarnate was all that awaited beyond that rift in reality. None of this was told to her, she just knew it in her heart.

Just like a dream becoming reality the golden drill took solid form. It had reached the size of a skyscraper!

"This is insane…!" Uni watched Uzume's weapon in disbelief. How could one person have this much power?

"Uzume's original ability was to bend reality to her will. Unable to control this gift she created dreams and also nightmares unwillingly. That delusional power disappeared when Kurome died, but with this much Share energy she is able to recreate it." Histoire explained with a serious expression.

"That's scary." Uni commented with furrowed eyebrows.

"Uzume probably thought the same." Histy replied in a somber tone.

Near the Basilicom the monster kids, Umio and the twins looked upon that spectacle with awe. They could only watch on and hope that their goddess could save them.

Orange Heart had finished her preparations. The drill above her was as light as a feather to her. There was no way her own power could weigh her down after all.

In front of her the red cracks that distorted space itself were starting to increase. This was the end of the line. The abyss was calling…

" **Uzume's drill is the drill that will create the path to tomorrow!"**

With those words on her lips she rammed her spinning drill into the all-consuming mass that burst through the cracks!

"That is like the coolest line eveeeer!" Ram declared with shaking fists.

"Uzume…" Umio watched her. Even if he was sad, even if he had regrets, he would watch her last glorious spark until the very end.

The drill clashed with the crack in reality itself and immediately shockwaves were unleashed that made a few building in the distance crumble to ruins. The red cracks widened and ultimately exploded and shattered! Beyond was only pure darkness. It was so thick that it was almost taking solid form. It tried to swallow the drill as soon as it made contact with its crushing force.

As the gigantic construct of Share energy screwed its way into the slick mass, the entire sky shook relentlessly. Orange Heart kept shouting with all her strength as she pushed forward. Her war cry only existed to support her conviction as she felt the all consuming nihility of what was ahead.

"She is actually creating a path inside the void…." Histoire was stunned.

The darkness was giving in for Uzume's reckless drilling. The inside of the Share Field was also connected to the outside of the dimension and the outside of the dimension was inside the Share Field. The dimensional mechanics were far above anything a human could comprehend, but somehow Orange Heart was drilling through the void while also keeping the Share Field stable. Due to these two factors they were able to move again. The drag towards the Hyper dimension was relentless. As long as the abyss was kept in check and pushed away they could make it.

But the glow of her drill was turning weaker, wasn't it? It used up way too much energy. And Uzume also had to use her energy to push ahead with her boosters. It looked like she was losing acceleration fast…

"Just a little more…!" She repeated that line which revealed her weakness. The abyss had no mind of its own, but it reacted almost as if it had realized her faltering.

Like the fangs of a beast the dark mass bored into the drill and started to consume it. Power was met with more power. Determination faced the law of the universe. Entwining death with hope.

Even if her drill did not break, her body was pushed back. The void would seep into the Zero dimension and everything would come to an end.

Never! Not as long as she had even the last bit of life inside her body. Orange Heart forced more energy into her boosters. It somehow counteracted the extreme forces trying to push her into despair, but now they were at a standstill. Neither side could move forward. Only one of them had a time limit though…

She… would fail… eventually…

"Don't give up Uzume!"

Orange Heart snapped back into reality. Nepgear's voice rang through the silent streets of old Planeptune. When her blue eyes looked for her friend she noticed movement at an old warehouse. Her purple hair emerged from the rooftop.

"We can't transform anymore, so we can't help her. What are you trying to do Nepgear?" Uni could barely see her from this far away. But how did her voice reach her then?

"I still got a trump card!" She said as she hammered down on a red button.

The warehouse began to rumble almost as badly as the shockwaves from Uzume's clash above and the rooftop completely fell apart. Emerging from it was…. _A gigantic silver mecha?!_

"Golden Nepgeardam EX, ready for action!" She declared proudly.

The mecha was three times the size of the original model and looked even more afraid of itself too!

"When… no WHY did you build that?!" Uni inquired distraught with blank eyes.

"I wanted to make a robot that could lift big pieces of rubble. But now I reconfigured it for a new purpose." She jumped into the cockpit and grabbed the levers. "To give Uzume a little push!"

The rocket boots of the mecha started up and Nepgeardam was flying off into the sky.

"Where did you get all that energy from?" Uni was still not satisfied with that explanation from before.

"I collected all the remaining pieces of Sharicite in the Zero dimension and installed them in Nepgeardam EX's core!" She announced through the speakers of the mecha and ascended to the skies.

The mecha reached Orange Heart in seconds. It raised its gigantic arms and then used them to push the drill ahead with the force of a…. oversized mech. There was really no comparison to anything else. The huge arms just moved right past Orange Heart and pushed directly against the bottom of the drill. Its rotation was slightly shaving the metallic hands, but the boost was actually helping.

Their combined push forced an even bigger hole into the void and the path kept being made. The greedy tentacles of darkness were crushed and forced back into the tunnel of light they were creating!

"80% of the way is behind us." Histy announced her calculations. "We are almost at Gamindustri!"

"Gearsy… Thank you so much…" Orange Heart almost shed a tear. Even when she tried to take all the burden on herself she could only do it with the help of a friend.

"I couldn't watch you do it alone. I never want to be powerless like that again!" Nepgear replied emotionally.

The final stretch was before them. They were going to beat destiny!

 _Crkshsh._ SWIISH. **Crunch.**

Just as they had felt a glimmer of hope, similar to what had happened before, the darkness extended again. More fierce, more destructive than before. Its extensions could not stop the drill, but they wound along it. Deeper and deeper until they reached even the very base. Dark lines rolling across the light of hope.

It whipped against the drill and Nepgeardam EX's arms. They took more damage each moment. The occasional swing even hit its torso and legs. The void lashed out with all it had. It would not allow them to defy the universe.

The relentless darkness finally broke the metal plating off the mecha. Each time they tried to stab into Uzume, Nepgeardam moved in its way to protect her.

"Gearsy you have to disengage!" Orange Heart panicked. The sparks and pieces of metal flying down into the town spoke volumes of how damaged the mecha already was. Its protective hull had sustained more than 70% damage already.

Nepgear did not reply. And neither did she stop pushing ahead.

 _Smash!_ Crack…

Finally Nepgeardam's arms broke. Unable to resist infinity they dangled down uselessly. Now defenseless the darkness went on a full on assault. Dents and gashes were created with every attack, completely tearing Nepgeardam apart. It was thrown around like a toy.

"Gearsy!"

"I leave the rest to you Uzume….!" Nepgear shouted just as a giant darkness spike impaled the core unit. With a horrible screeching sound the entire lump of metal turned limp and fell down towards the city rapidly. It was unable to move or brace itself after all the hits it had taken.

Orange Heart turned her head down. She wanted to move below and save her! Even if her drill would be pushed back, she had to!

But… Through the cracks in the torn cockpit she could see Nepgear shake her head.

Then she used the speakers of Nepgeardam EX to announce something to the entire Zero dimension.

"Everyone! Give Uzume your sincere belief! Put everything on her! Believe in the Uzume that I believe in! The Uzume who always comes through in the eeeeeend!" She shouted before the speakers failed as well and died completely.

Nepgeardam fell to its demise.

The citizens of the Zero dimension were shocked… and moved by her words.

They had already put their entire wishes and hopes on Uzume, but there was even more! If they could give even an iota of energy to her then they would.

Against all odds Orange Heart felt an immense rush of Share energy flow into her. The power of Gamindustri's faith and that of her friends was almost tripled! She could not look down. She could not look back. Nepgear had given her all she could, so now it was her turn to do the same!

"HAAAAAAAAAH!" Orange Heart was glowing golden as she pushed ahead even more fiercely.

* * *

Below in the city, Uni gritted her teeth and ran towards the approximate location where the mecha would land. The newly rebuild city block.

If it crashed this hard it would… it would kill…

There was nothing she could do. She was powerless and could not even reach Nepgear without HDD. The mecha would crash in mere seconds…. Even if she did have her transformation, she would be too slow.

"Endless Typhoon!" Ram's voice rang across the old streets. An incredible squall of compressed air was pushing into the sky and slowed down the mech's descend! Ram used all of her power to delay the crash!

"Northern… Cross…!" Rom declared from behind them with shallow breaths as she had ran all the way towards the impact point. Arctic winds were swirling and then created an ice-ramp the size of a street. It was below Nepgeardam to prevent it from crashing into the city and destroying it thusly.

But even then… even with all the twin's efforts, this would still not be enough to save Nepgear. Only the city would be saved. Uni couldn't take it. She couldn't allow it to end this way after all they had been through. Why did Nepgear always have to run ahead of her and be a perfect hero? She couldn't stand it. Always eclipsed by this wonderful girl. Even Nepgear needed someone to pull her up from time to time, right?!

Then why was she useless when that time to save her had finally come?!

She felt a tear run down her face… so warm… but then she realized that her eyes were dry.

Something else was sliding down her cheek. From above golden stardust was trickling down. It was coming out of the damaged holes all over Nepgeardam EX….

Dust of Sharicite? Uni's eyes widened. This wasn't a lot. In fact it would normally not even have been enough to make a thimble of Sharicite. But for Uni, this was enough. It would work, She would simply _make_ it work!

The dust around her began to glow and a pillar of numbers engulfed the young girl… and from it emerged Black Sister!

"HDD activated. Ready for a rescue mission!" She kicked off the damaged ground and shot into the air at insane velocity. Ram's winds carried her upwards even faster. She soon reached the mecha and used her rifle to shoot the hull open. They were descending faster and faster, all according to Ram's waning strength. Uni ripped open layer after layer from the cockpit, searching desperately for her girlfriend. Her gloved hands were receiving cuts and tears from the sharp bend metal, but she ignored the pain.

Then she spotted a hint of purple…! With careful movements she peeled the seat away and undid the hooks of the seatbelt around Nepgear's limp body. She was unconscious. Her head was slightly red… she had taken some head trauma.

Uni embraced her and jumped out of the rapidly crashing mecha as in the same moment it finally hit the ice ramp with full force. The entire mecha was bursting apart like an old rusty spring. If Nepgear had stayed in there, she would certainly be dead.

Uni carried her and floated down carefully…. But the share energy already wore off. She couldn't hold her transformation. They were falling about ten meters. Uni instinctively turned her back downwards to protect Nepgear in her arms and with all of her body. At the very least she would save her…

As they hit the ground, they bounced off something soft.

"What the-?!" She opened her red eyes and noticed dozens of blue and orange faces below her.

Dogoos, monster children and even Umio had gathered to catch them!

"Are you alright?" Umio asked concernedly after seeing Nepgear's state.

"I… I d-don't… don't know?" Uni's heart was racing from the adrenaline, but she felt like collapsing.

"I will make you better Miss Nepgear…" Rom rushed to their side and used her healing magic to treat the worst of the injuries, but she soon collapsed herself due to exhaustion. For now it seemed Nepgear was in the clear. She was still breathing, albeit shallowly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you for being alive…!" Uni held onto Nepgear and embraced her. Then she collapsed at her side. Overstraining her body to keep up a transformation had knocked out all her reserves instantly. It was shocking that she had stayed conscious this long.

Above them Uzume was still piercing the heavens with all her might. They finally passed most of the void.

But then she hit an unspeakably strong resistance. The dimensional barrier!

"It should be impossible to tear holes into dimensions. That is why I didn't think this was a good plan." Histoire admitted. She had hoped against hope that something might have weakened it, but it seemed the Hyper dimension was not allowing anyone to pass into it with brute force.

"What's… on the…. other… side of this wall?" Orange Heart asked with a strained voice. Through the cracks she could see something. Or rather feel.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Final Frontier Plaines.

Neptune and Noire were still lying in the crater and stared at the sunny sky…. Where cracks started to appear.

"Okey-dokey. Either my eyes are splitting from the all-nighters or there is a crack in the sky."

"I can see it too."

"Definitely the all-nighters then."

It appeared as if the very sun was being torn apart by red shards of glass.

They were still marveling at the sight when they suddenly heard Orange Heart's voice.

"Nepsy… Noirsy…. Hear… me?"

"UZUME? Are you talking through that red fissure in reality itself?" Neptune asked with mild surprise.

"Yes! … could… two please help?"

"How can we… _help_ you?" Noire was still unsure of what was going on.

"Tear… hole… crack… your side!"

"I think she wants us to crack the sky like some egg." Neptune whistled "I don't have a big enough table for this."

"We don't have many options. Without our powers this will be hard to reach, let alone break open." Noire shielded her eyes from the sunlight they were staring into.

"The fate… dimensions…. up to you two!" Uzume said with an exhausted voice.

Now that was something they could understand. The fate of the universe lay on their shoulders… as usual.

"Nowa… do you trust me?" Neptune asked bluntly.

"With all my heart." Noire didn't hesitate. She grabbed Neptune's hand.

"The interesting thing with Shares is that they can do pretty much any crazy thing you want." Neptune said and grabbed Noire's hands more tightly. "It's a pretty lazy plot device." She added

Noire bumped her side with her elbow.

"Problem is, everything we pour into each other will be transferred straight to Uzume's bank account." Nep closed her eyes. So did Noire.

"If the Shares are going to flow towards Uzume anyway…." Neptune started to glow. "Then why don't we carry them to her ourselves!?" Two Share crystals popped out of their chests and got stuck in a virtual pad. They twisted them around with their free hands and then went through an extensive transformation sequence that somehow didn't take up any real time.

Next Purple and Next Black appeared in all their divine glory.

"It feels like our entire being is being sucked towards this rift." Next Black said with one blue eye closed. She was holding onto Next Purple's hand to keep the power from flowing away, but it was still tough.

Still, her scouter was analyzing the weak points of the barrier behind the cracks.

"We will give it everything it desires and add ten times to that." Next Purple's exalted voice reverberated through the darkening air as she drew her overly long sword.

"Neptune, I shall guide your arms to find the best spot."

"Please. I am all yours." Next Purple smiled divinely and flew upwards while Noire held her arms. They reached the red crack in reality and moved into a stance.

" **Infinite…"** Next Black's blue eyes sparked.

"… **dimensional…"** Next Purple's circle shaped booster was spinning behind her. The sword in her hand grew until it was the length of a freighter.

"" _ **SLICE!""**_

And with their combined power the duo sliced across the rift… again and again, in a nigh unending flurry of slashes, similar to Next Black's EXE move, but with Next Purple's unspeakable power added to each slash! The crack in the sky was glowing in a pattern of diamonds…. And then it exploded in shards of silver and gold!

* * *

From the other side Orange Heart was finally losing her strength. She felt her arms grow heavy until they were akin to the mass of a graviton star… Her vision became blurry as the colors intermingled and became incomprehensible. Her mind was at its end as well. She had already forgotten who she was or what she was doing. The only thing going through her consciousness was to push forward ever more.

But her useless eyes could see the crack widening…

Her failing ears could hear it bursting open!

Behind it the far reaches of Gamindustri stretched out.

And the faces of two friends awaited.

The drill dissolved as the last ounce of energy was used up. The Share Field as well was starting to fall apart.

 _Only a little longer… please….!_

The dimensions collided.

 _(To be continued)_


	20. Episode 19: Day Zero

**Now that the climax is behind us, let's get to the actual important stuff, shall we?  
**

* * *

 **Episode 19: Day Zero**

Things changed a lot after the Zero dimension had crashed into Gamindustri.

At first it was unclear whether it even survived the impact. The Gamindustri Graveyard was utterly crushed and wiped of the face of the world. At that very moment a wave of energy was released across Gamindustri that created weird phenomena and made everyone's hairs stand up like it was electrically charged. With the power akin to a nuclear fusion the dimensions melded into each other and warped the space-time-continuum in unimaginable ways.

As the clouds of impact settled down the Share Field, the only protective sphere that kept the Zero dimension alive, was dissolved. Due to the anomaly created by the released energy the Share Field was absorbed and transformed. What had once been a protective shell turned into a sphere that bent space.

In the center of Gamindustri a place with impossible space was created. An invisible sphere was acting as the borders of this place. If one were to venture beyond the bounds of the former Gamindustri Graveyard area, they would suddenly find themselves in a much larger area that was 100% congruent with the Zero dimension's layout.

The dimensions had intersected and become one, but at the same time they stayed separated by the bounded field.

After the initial shock and destruction the people of Gamindustri began to test out the waters. The groups that had originally evacuated the citizens from the Graveyard now entered the bubble that held the new dimension in place.

Anyone could pass the field with ease and no repercussions. They were moved to the half ruined city. To everyone's surprise the citizens of the Zero dimension were entirely unharmed. The rescue efforts were unnecessary.

This fusion of dimensions had more profound consequences than just an easy way to walk into the new city though…

* * *

Two days had passed since the convergence. The initial chaos had finally settled down and everything was put under strict supervision and order by the CPUs. They were currently staying in the Zero Basilicom to discuss the situation. Only one CPU was missing.

"How is Uzume doing?" Neptune asked for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Her body is in a state of utter exhaustion Neptune." Histoire patiently repeated what she had said so many times by now. She completely understood her protégé's feelings on the matter. "She will recover with time. All we can do is wait for her to recover on her own." The strain from bearing all the world's Shares had taken a toll on Uzume, especially after keeping it up for several hours. Frankly speaking it was a miracle her body hadn't broken and faded away completely in the end.

"Even I never napped for two days straight though." Nep was restless and wobbled on her chair.

"I don't believe you for one second." Noire said with a shrug. She was sitting up and proper on her chair, but she was tapping her fingers impatiently. The only sign that she was not as calm as she acted.

"The Share grid has stabilized since the fusion of dimensions. The Share Drain is finally gone. With the faith of the citizens Uzume should recover much faster than usual." Histy pointed out.

"Yes, how fortunate for everyone." Vert nodded.

Indeed, their Shares had returned. The crisis was averted. It didn't all return at once, but the problem gradually solved itself.

Despite its crude convergence the Zero dimension had now become a true part of Gamindustri. Thus Uzume had obtained her very own domain and was part of the established Share system. This way she was able to receive the faith of her people much more directly and didn't need to rely on Sharicite pieces or the like.

Soon a giant Sharicite had grown in the basement of the Zero Basilicom that now acted as the buffer between Uzume and the Share energy. She was the same as the old CPUs now. This should have sped up her recovery process immensely.

"Even my sisters can transform again, so we're back to normal." Blanc commented with a sigh.

The CPU candidates were recovering their powers slower than the current CPUs and had not been able to transform until this morning. Uni had received her powers first and the twins successfully transformed just before this meeting.

As for Nepgear…

Uni threw the door open and interrupted them out of breath.

"Nepgear woke up!" She shouted into the room.

"Thank heavens!" Vert looked infinitely relieved.

"That's my lil' sis! She's a real fighter!" Neptune pumped her fist cheerfully.

Nepgear had been in a coma ever since she fainted during the collision. Uni had stayed at her bedside the entire time. Occasionally Rom and Ram visited as well, with the former trying to help the recovery with some healing magic. Just like with Uzume the returned Shares should have sped up the process, but the damage had been extensive and the Candidates powers did not return as fast.

"Is her head fine? Does she still remember her favorite sister?!" Neptune jumped up, grabbed Uni by the shoulders and shook her repeatedly in excitement.

"S-she only woke up for a moment and s-shouted **'WHAT IS THAT THING!?'** with a weird face! Then she went back to s-sleep." She was completely out of it (although being shaken around didn't help). Clearly she was overwhelmed by emotions.

"What a delayed reaction." Neptune said with lines for eyes. She had already heard everything from Histoire, so she knew about Nepgeardam EX, which was totally awesome in her book. Too bad it was destroyed right away in its debut battle.

"I just wanted to tell everyone… I'm going back right away." Uni waved them goodbye and went back to Nepgear's room.

"That's wonderful news Neptune." Noire smiled sympathetically.

"Yeah. Feels like I just dropped a battle cruiser from my shoulders~" Neptune smiled at her with relief.

"Now that our powers returned we can go back to rule our nations." Blanc suddenly brought up the next topic.

They all had probably thought about it already. Thing were slowly returning to normal, even if some things changed permanently. The short disappearance of the CPUs from the public was barely even noticed by the citizens. It might as well have been a weird vacation.

The CPUs' fleeting human existence had ended before it had really begun. Even so their perspective on some things did change.

"Excuse us please." Kei, Chika and Mina entered the conference room all at once. The Oracles had been working in the background all the while.

"I'm so very glad that you can return to your job darliiiing!" Chika threw herself at Vert in an instant. "But just so you know, even if you had stayed human, you would still be my goddess!"

"That is sweet of you…" Vert smiled wryly while being hug-choked.

"Tsk." Blanc clicked her tongue and leaned her head on one hand.

"The castle has been prepared for your return. Financier said she already moved your possessions back to your library and rooms." Mina put a hand on Blanc's shoulder reassuringly.

"That was fast." Noire was impressed and doubtful at the same time. "I need a full update of what happened while I was gone Kei."

"I have already prepared the data." Kei slightly bowed in her elegant way.

The Oracles had decided to stay around for a while, at the very least until the CPUs were back in full swing. Their journeys had ended abruptly and it wasn't sure what they would do from here on out. Chika was the only one who had immediately decided to return to her position as Leanbox's Oracle.

"Aw shucks. Look at 'em all going into biz mode the second we are out of the climax." Neptune shrugged sarcastically.

"Incidentally I will need you to work twice as hard as all of them. Since Nepgear is recovering I don't wish to burden her too much. Understood Neptune?" Histy gave her a very Pissty smile.

Neptune's smiling face was covered in cold sweat.

* * *

Inside Nepgear's room the atmosphere was serene compared to the business of the rest of the Basilicom. The purple haired girl was lying on her soft pillow in a peaceful manner. Her eyes had stopped darting around below her eyelids and she was breathing regularly. A small line of sunlight peeked through the curtains and crossed her body in serpentine lines.

Uni sat on a chair close to the bed and was leaning her head on the mattress. She hadn't been sleeping much since Nepgear had fallen into her coma. Now that she was finally showing signs of improvement Uni could rest a little.

With a tender fluttering Nepgear's eyelids opened.

She recognized the room as the one she and Uni had shared in the Zero Basilicom. How did she get here though?

Her head hurt immensely, but it was a numb kind of pain that couldn't quite reach her consciousness yet. Her eyes slightly hurt even from the small amount of light that slithered across her bed. Then her eye aligned with the sight of the sleeping raven haired girl on her bed.

"Uni…?" She hazily moved her hand and reached for Uni's hair. She barely caught a lock of it with the tip of her fingers before her arm heavily fell back down. She was still too exhausted to exert herself.

Something she noticed immediately was the familiar flow of Shares in her body. For a moment she wondered if she jumped back in time.

"Mhrm… Nepgear… get better soon…" Uni whispered in her sleep.

"Thank you." Nepgear smiled sheepishly. It was a bit nice to be worried for by the one she loved. Maybe that was a selfish thing to think though.

Seeing Uni's regularly heaving shoulders made her feel relaxed and sleepy again. She would doze a little more before trying again to get her attention.

….

….

A few hours later they both awoke to the sun setting at the edge of the Zero dimension. The sky had become more natural compared to before.

"N-Nepgear…? Are you feeling okay? You aren't hurting anywhere, right?!" Uni acted like a worried mother.

"I'm feeling much better already. Napping really refreshes the body. No wonder Sis loves it so much!" She joked with a smile.

"You dummy!" Uni threw herself at Nepgear, unable to consider whether the hug would hurt her body. "Why did you do something so stupid?! I was really worried! I wanted to cry!" Uni shouted in frustration and relief at the same time.

"Ehehe… sorry, it was the only way for me to be useful." Nepgear apologized half-heartedly.

"You don't _need_ to be useful!" Uni's red eyes were moist, but also sharp. "Don't put your life below others so much! Don't… leave me behind…!"

"…" Nepgear felt a sting in her heart when she saw Uni break down like this. She slowly put an arm around her back and embraced her weakly.

Uni said she wanted Nepgear to think of herself, but she also wanted her to stay safe for her own sake. In a way she acted selfish again, but what she really wanted to say was obvious to Nepgear.

"I don't want to lose you… because I love you too much!" Uni said while burying her face in Nepgear's shoulder.

Nepgear had many thoughts about this display.

Frankly Uni was cute.

Like, really cute.

If Nepgear wasn't too weak to get up right now she might have done something bold.

"I didn't want to make you sad. But if Uzume failed you would have been harmed as well. So my body just moved on its own." She admitted.

"!" Uni hadn't expected that.

"Do you want to chat a little?" Nepgear said sweetly. Their promise from before came back up. She had said she would have a long talk with Uni. With nothing hidden and no interruptions.

"…yes." Uni nodded.

It was time to finally show each other everything.

* * *

Another day passed and finally Uzume regained consciousness. She almost immediately got up and checked out what was happening outside, against Umio's and Histy's explicit wishes.

Wearing nothing but a nightgown she had jumped straight to the balcony and looked over her home. To her surprise the streets were bustling with monster citizens and humans alike. The horizon was bright and beautiful.

"We made it…" Uzume said with tears in her eyes. Sometimes there was nothing uncool about crying. Tears of joy were the coolest.

Afterwards she dressed up in her usual outfit and walked through the Basilicom. On her walk she picked up the other CPUs one after another. They had been spread out across the wings designated to their nations. They still existed despite the central rule being abolished again.

After thanking them all for what they did she met up with Nepgear to check up on her. Somehow Uzume was in a better condition despite having taken much more strain. It was probably more due to her hardheaded tenacity than anything else.

After a few more visits they all gathered back in the living room.

"Thanks for everything!" Uzume raised her glass and cheered.

The others did the same and they all drank from the various drinks that had been prepared. It was appropriate to celebrate their survival and the return of their Shares.

"You're totally mad crazy y'know that Uzume?" Neptune slapped her on the back cheerfully. Unexpectedly the red-head almost collapsed from that light gesture. She was only better on the outside it seemed.

"How come?" Uzume asked surprised.

"You broke reality! Of course you had some help from the awesomest duo in Gamindustri, but that drill wasn't bad either!"

"It's actually much more shocking that Neptune and Noire were able to access their Next forms in that state." Vert interjected while sipping on her champagne. "How did you do it?" She turned towards Noire.

"I am… not sure." Noire admitted. "It seems the connection to the Sharicite never truly got severed. We simply didn't receive any Shares from it due to the drain-"

"You just gotta feel your way!" Nep interrupted and gave them a thumbs up.

"Such a Neptune like answer." Vert chuckled.

"To break the dimensional barrier… I have underestimated the powers of the Next form." Histoire looked down into her children's cup that she used for her tea.

"We wouldn't even have put a dent into it if Uzume had not already weakened it to that degree." Noire was not one to take credit for some other's work.

"I have a question myself actually." Kei looked at the duo from her seated position. "What were you doing in that area?"

"Now that you point it out…" Nepgear swirled her glass of orange juice and cupped her chin (she was ordered by Histy not to leave the comfy armchair and just rest). "Uni said she couldn't reach either of you during that time."

Neptune and Noire were suddenly acting very unfocused and looked at the carpet or ceiling.

"Hahaha look gals, Umio is balancing all those plates on his nose!" Uzume walked over while laughing hysterically. She pointed to the other side of the room where Rom and Ram kept piling stuff on Umio's face.

"He has a nose?" Blanc looked up from the book she was reading. Parties weren't really her thing.

"Huh? Wuzzat sparkly thing on your hand Nepsy? Noirsy has one too?" She leaned forward to look at their hands. Noire hid her hand instinctively, but Neptune just stretched hers out and showed Uzume.

"Hehe, see that? It's proof that I am the luckiest protagonist in the multiverse." She boasted. As always with Neptune, in the face of adversity she rushed straight into the conflict instead of avoiding it.

"A ring? Lucky? Did you pick it up in some dungeon?" Uzume's head was covered in question marks.

"Oh my. You actually went through with it already?" Vert caught on instantly. She smirked when she saw Noire's embarrassed expression.

"Hey, I feel left out. What's the deal?" The red-head CPU crossed her arms.

"This is like the contract for a main line quest! Unskippable and story relevant!" Nep rubbed the silver ring intently. "Noire gave it to me, so of course it's fancy."

"PFFFRT!" Uni spat out her iced-tea all over the table.

Nepgear almost fell out of her armchair. "R-really Sis? You really got engaged?!" She was showing a mix of surprise and joy.

"Engaaaaaaged?!" Uzume's eyes turned white in shock. "L-like… getting married and stuff?"

"That's right. Uzume didn't know about our bet." Neptune whistled. "Yup, we are now officially Best Fiancées For-!"

"If you say what I think you are going to say I want a divorce." Noire said with a deadpan look.

"-an undefined amount of time!" Neptune caught herself harder than a trapeze artist on top of Planeptune tower during a hurricane. Her poker face was pale as death.

"Wow! Congrats!" Uzume clapped her hands.

"Hear hear." Mina raised her glass and all of the other party members started congratulating them too. At first Noire was stunned, but then she played it off coolly by flicking her pigtails back and enjoying the attention.

"Eh… huh… d-doesn't that mean Nepgear and I will become… sisters-in-law?" Uni mumbled to herself with an aura of confusion. The stream of words filled the entire screen.

"With no blood relation there shouldn't be an issue." Kei whispered towards her ear and smiled professionally.

"So when's the wedding?" Uzume put her hands on her waist and tilted her head.

"We decided to keep the engagement up despite the nullification of the bet." Of course the bet wouldn't be binding anymore now that the Share race was back on.

"But let's take it slow. We don't need to get tied up right away. At least wait for the epilogue or something~" Neptune grinned.

"You want to hold off on it for now?" Vert raised a brow.

"Perhaps our feelings went a little haywire." Noire coughed. "I mean now that we have responsibilities to consider and with all things in relation we just dated about a year…"

"They say once you get married everything goes down the whirlpool-"

"Drain." Noire automatically corrected her fiancée.

"-so let's stay in the comfy middle." She winked.

* * *

In another corner of the room Histoire was currently making a call to the Ultra dimension.

"I am glad to hear everything turned out well!" Mini-Histy's cute voice was ringing through the room.

"Honestly, I was at my wit's end several times. Thank you for all your support in this crisis." Histoire bowed her head to the transmission.

"It was only natural. We had some trouble as well, so this was a perfect solution for all of us."

"I suppose we can reopen the portal soon. What troubles are you referring to by the way?"

"Ah… there have been some monster attacks. I assumed it was because of the dimensional shift. Our CPUs took care of it swiftly."

"I see. I am glad that it was only on this scale then."

"Yes! I am more worried about other developments…"

"What was that?"

"N-nothing. It's not connected to your troubles. We can take care of it ourselves." Ultra Histy hastily assured her.

"I will take your word for it. Neptune will be happy to talk to Plutia and the others again."

"I look forward to their next visit. ( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ"

* * *

Back with the others the conversation had switched to the current state of Gamindustri and Uzume.

"I want to continue my training as a CPU." Uzume declared.

"Interesting." Kei looked at her in approval.

"Indeed, now that you have to look after a nation and Shares it would be important to think of a continuation in your studies." Umio had joined them and stood completely behind Uzume's decision.

"It would be awesome if you kept giving me a hand." She faced the Oracles with pressed together hands and one eye closed.

"I do not mind. Blanc doesn't need my full attention anyway." Mina nodded.

"Histoire is certain to agree and I would be remiss to stop my lessons before I made a presentable CPU out of you." Kei was in agreement.

"I don't mind whipping you into shape, but now that my darling Vert is back in action you will have no chance whatsoever." Chika backhandedly gave her word as well.

"Man you're all the best!" Uzume was happy as could be.

But something was off. As if a dark sphere had suddenly spread around Uzume, completely surrounding her. No room for escape. A cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Isn't that wonderful?" Vert said.

"Congratulations on becoming the ruler of a real nation." Noire's words were creeping up Uzume's neck.

"You got guts if nothing else." Blanc's voice was like winter itself.

"So cool." Neptune said in her sweetest voice.

Uzume gulped. The four of them were scary. Really scary. Their demonic smiles could have scared the Deity of Sin into tears. Their eyes were glowing red in the dark!

Everything was fine and dandy as long as she stayed in another dimension, but now that she was becoming a rival the entire playing field was changed. This was war. Nay, a race between very success possessed goddesses.

"Watcha gonna call your nation anyway? _New_ Planeptune?" Neptune asked casually.

"Oh please. As your predecessor she would obviously call it 'Old Planeptune'." Noire said with an amicable shrug that somehow seemed like a deadly twist.

"H-hey guys, let's calm down, okay?" Uzume was surrounded so she couldn't even back away. "I don't have a name and I don't really want to make a new nation or anything! It's still the Zero dimension where all my friends live normal lives!"

"Oh dear, that won't do at all. You are already integrated in the Share grid." Vert pulled up a graphic that displayed all the nation's Share values.

"You're in the 'Other' category right now." Blanc explained.

"Ya know, the one that is reserved for _villains_ and _antagonists_ and _usurpers_." Neptune said while jovially laying an arm around Uzume's tense shoulders.

Uzume gulped even more distraught than before. Every day would be interesting from now on, one way or another.

* * *

The party eventually dissolved and everyone went to their own rooms to prepare for the return home. They had stayed at the Zero Basilicom for far too long already. Going home by the next day had become the unspoken agreement.

Inside the living room the air had cleared of most people and left only Blanc sitting there, staring out the big overlight window. She was contemplating something, but it wasn't apparent what exactly.

"I assume you are just as relieved as I am that we were fortunate enough to receive this get-out-of-jail free card at the last moment." Vert's voice echoed inside the empty room. She had come back so quietly that Blanc hadn't heard her. "There will be no proposals anymore… for now."

Blanc didn't respond. She looked at her hands.

"For curiosity's sake." The blonde CPU had trouble keeping a straight face when she was ignored so coldly. "If you had not been excused from the consequences… who might you have proposed to?" She asked with the intended feeling of a friend that was just making idle conversation.

"…" Blanc twisted her hands into fists and then without even a single word she left for the exit. After leaving through the door she moved down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Vert couldn't help but call out after her.

"Going out." Blanc said determinedly. Her profile showed an expression that was disgruntled as if she was facing something very uncomfortable.

Vert looked after her with a hint of guilt. They had reached this point, because of the comment she had made so long ago.

But she didn't know how to fix their relationship. And to her surprise…. That prospect really hurt her deeply.

* * *

Blanc took a walk across the desolate roads of the Zero dimension. Despite the frequent new visitors that wanted to inspect the additional nation that had been added to the map, the city's ruins tended to be empty. Uzume and Umio had made sure that visitors would only go into the safe and rebuild areas for now.

So Blanc had full freedom to roam the area on her own without interruptions.

She had to think.

 **A lot.**

 _(To be continued)_

 _(Starting next time: More Blanc than anyone has ever bargained for)_


	21. Episode 20: Reverie (Part 1)

**To all those people brave enough to come this far without reading the previous stories: Hats off to you! But from here onward it will become nigh impossible to follow without specific knowledge (or at least it will feel disconnected).**

 **So as not to force people to read too much of my nonsense (or to make me retell _all_ the plot points) I will now list the chapters from previous stories that might be helpful to understand the _Reverie_ chapters.**

 **Best Friends Forever?:**

 **-"Epilogue" (Not actually necessary, but _this_ chapter does partially take place there)**

 **Best Girlfriends Forever!:**

 **-"Phantom of the Basilicom" Arc (Actually starts with "Quarrel like Lovers")**

 **-"Nepsgiving" (It helps)**

 **-"Sisters" Arc**

 **That's all. Back to the regular program.**

* * *

 **Episode 20: Reverie (Part 1)**

This mess began a long time ago. Even before the usurpation of their nations by Gold Third and the final battle with Kurome. Just after they had averted the crisis with Tari's CPU and finally expected permanent peace.

"Your stories, while certainly _entertaining_ in their own right…" Vert said with a barely suppressed chuckle. She was hiding her smile behind one gloved hand. "…lack something important."

"Oh yeah? And what's that supposed to be, wannabe critic?" Blanc was not happy to be lectured by Vert of all people. But she did approach her after reading her newly released novel. How she had found out Blanc's penname was a mystery, but she had mailed her about it and wanted to discuss something regarding the topic of her writing.

" **Heart.** " Vert answered without her previous amusement. Her look wasn't pitying or accusing, but simply sympathetic.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Blanc gritted her teeth while leaning her head on one hand in annoyance. She was resting her elbow on the round wooden tea table. She was posing like she rejected the very idea of lacking 'heart'.

"You have a surprisingly sizable amount of romantic stories in your library, do you not?" The blonde goddess looked over to the well stocked shelf.

"Like I said, what are you implying?" She wanted this big annoyance to be over and done with as soon as possible, so she pushed Vert onward.

"Hmph." Vert exhaled in dissatisfaction. Her amicable nature was lost on Blanc it seemed. "For someone with such an impressive interest in the genre, you utterly lack the sensitivity in describing it." She got to the point immediately.

"I'm not some lovesick weirdo. Those are not exclusively romance novels. They are mixed genres. _Mixed_." Suddenly the short CPU waved her hand and acted insulted. Almost as if to avoid the second half of Vert's statement completely. Of course this didn't go unnoticed by her fellow goddess.

"I see now. You were completely aware." She folded her arms below her bosom and looked down on Blanc (admittedly their height difference could be to blame here).

"I'm not aware of nothing! Don't tell me what I can't write!"

Bullseye.

"I would not dare to pry any further into your private matters. I was simply trying to support you in your efforts as an author." Vert finished her cup of herbal tea and raised her behind to get off the bench. She dusted off her dress and adjusted her long hair in a ladylike manner. "It seems I will have to look forward to even more amusing comedy pieces from you in the future." She glanced at Blanc from the corner of her eyes.

The short-haired girl was clearly agitated, but she showed a weakness. Her hand was balled to a fist, but she was also biting her lower lip. A small shaking went through her body before her facial expression returned to neutral.

"I _can_ do it. I just need more…" She trailed off.

"Relationship experience?" Vert unintentionally finished her sentence. Almost immediately she realized that she went too far.

"Leave already." Blanc turned away and dragged her feet towards her private chambers. She didn't even attempt to push Vert out of the Basilicom like she usually would have.

"What a troublesome dramatist I have gotten myself involved with." The blonde girl tightly grabbed her elbow and stood in place for a while. There was an uncertainty in her heart. As if she wasn't sure whether to exit gracefully or comfort this oversized prideful puppy.

In the end she decided not to act too uncharacteristically and left the castle behind.

* * *

'Heart'. That was the thing her stories were lacking…. _She_ was lacking.

Blanc had reached a dead end in some rundown building. The wall looked weak and less than rigid after all the destruction caused by the Dark CPUs. With uncertain emotions she kicked the bricks in with her right boot. The entire construct toppled over from the force of her anger. Or was it her fear?

* * *

A lot of things happened in a short span of time. While she had been busy taking back her country and getting acquainted with C-sha she lacked the time or state of mind to think about trivial things like writing… or her own heart. Instead she was doing her best. Working to save her sisters, her people and the world. They had ruined Kurome Ankokuboshi's plans. The Heart Dimension was destroyed and peace returned to the world… for a while.

But alongside the Heart dimension, Blanc's own heart also returned to being a void. Now that the world was safe, she had nothing to distract her from herself. She had always been introverted, bad at dealing with people and had a foul mouth to boot, that much was true. But she had a softer side as well. Behind the hardened shell still beat a bloody heart dammit!

She was not love struck. She never had been in her life. To her the concept of romance was as fictional as anything else in the novels she read every day. She now had a few friends, sisters that looked up to her and a stable nation under her rule… And that was all she needed. Those were her honest feelings. Love was not necessary to get by. It was not even something altogether desirable if one enjoyed their alone time.

But for her writer side this lack of experience was unacceptable.

Yet she couldn't let something like that dictate her lifestyle. Many writers did not have experience. Neither with love nor with slaying alien invaders or other crazy concepts. Heck, Blanc had never even attended a school in her life, yet most of her plots centered on high schoolers. Imagination and outside media could make up for a lot of inexperience. She was confident in how solid her research was.

Yet how could she hope to copy emotions? No, was copying an emotion really enough to give the story a heart of its own? She couldn't claim it to be so. She sought out romance subconsciously, but in the end she always went for the clichés. For a straightforward, fulfilling romance like only a hormone filled teenager could see it. That was all _she_ could see.

"If I had a real example to compare it to." She often found herself saying that line. Real life models existed everywhere, but she would feel like a disgusting voyeur, spying on couples in town. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

Things took a weird turn soon after. Neptune and Noire got involved in a nonsensical contest about friendship…. And by the end of it all they had finally confessed their love for each other (at least Neptune did. As if Noire could be honest about her feelings). This was an opportunity.

No it wasn't!

Blanc had to bite the inside of her cheek whenever she saw those two hang out together. What business did she have with their lovey-dovey sickly sweet flirty relationship? They were acquaintances, colleagues and ultimately even friends. One should never look at their close ones as material. As something to inspect and observe. The idea that someone would do so for her or her sisters was downright insulting to her, so she would not stoop so low.

But when she had looked out her Basilicom window one day, she had spotted Neptune's hoodie dress from a distance. Seeing her walk through Lowee's busy streets was unusual at least. The purple bundle of uncontrolled energy was known for her theme park visits all across the nation, but she rarely ventured in the center of the city…

Neptune laughed heartily as she pulled someone along by the hand. Noire.

"They sure got a lot of free time." Blanc grumbled and turned away. In her head she made up all kinds of possible scenarios that had led to them appearing below her windows.

It was irritating how they needed to show off their romantic nonsense to everyone (especially her). Maybe they had just come from one of the theme parks actually. Shared some cotton candy, enjoyed the famous 'Love Tunnel' and danced through a field of flowers while holding hands-

"Shit." Blanc held her forehead with a guilty expression. Once again she had tried to use them as models instead of seeing them as her comrades who were enjoying their alone time together.

It was so natural.

With an exasperated sigh she went to her desk and activated the monitor by moving the mouse. Maybe some work could distract her. Her line of sight accidentally went back out the window. Towards the ice-cream stall at the side of the road…

They were taking a single cone for both of them? Strawberry, vanilla, stracciatella. Three layers. Noire was holding it tightly. Neptune watched the shaking mass of gelato with longing eyes. They walked around the corner, out of sight from the ice-cream vendor. They set down on a stone bench. Noire hesitatingly held up the ice-cream, but Neptune had no inhibitions about taking a big lick from the sweet frozen mass.

"H-hey, be careful or I might drop it." Noire (probably) said nervously.

"Ice-cream exists to be licked. It's a natural law or something!" Neptune (definitely) answered with a wink. "C'mon you get some too or it will turn hot."

"You mean cold- Ah." She realized the confusing phrasing was deliberate.

"Lickity~"

"Jeez! Then I will just help myself!" Not wanting to go home empty-handed (even though she was holding the cone), Noire started to tenderly stick out the tip of her tongue and slid it across the vanilla portion of the ice-cream.

"Yoink!" Neptune suddenly picked up the pace and slurped all across the vanilla part as well.

"….!" Noire was even more frozen than the ice-cream in her hand. She only now realized what sharing this really meant.

"Woah there Noiregoyle, why so stiff? Was it too cold?" Neptune teased. Her eyes were focused only on her girlfriend's reactions.

"…" Once again Noire forgot how to talk like a human being and simply opened and closed her mouth.

Neptune grabbed her stiff hand… and pulled it closer. Then she proceeded to take another lick of the ice-cream.

"Yummy! You're missing out." By now all three layers had Neptune's tongue approval on them.

Noire's red eyes were getting more bloodshot by the second.

"Oh lookie over here. It's dripping on your hand. Told ya it would get hot." Nep whistled. Of course Noire's increasing body temperature was also at fault here. "As Nep Jr. always says in mom-mode: Don't waste food!" Nep raised one finger in faux scolding. "I'll take care of that teensy mistake right now." She moved forward and licked Noire's fingers!

"Kiii…?!" Noire jumped a little at the sensation.

"Hey… _lap_ … dun move sho much." Nep's tongue could barely keep up with Noire's shaking hand.

"N-N-Neptune, I can… d-do it myself!" Noire called out to reason.

"But I can do it better." Neptune's eyes sparkled and she kept licking.

"It t-t-tickles! Stop already!" Noire had to suppress a giggle and during that cute display her hand let go of the cone by accident.

"Whoops!" Neptune dropped on the ground like a pro-baseball jockey and caught the falling sweet at the last second. "H-h-hohoho that was a lil' too close even for me. You're too frail for this lifting job Miss!"

"..." Noire looked at the purple haired joker with a pout. Then she lashed out with her mouth and took a bite out of the ice-cream!

"Wowzers, that's at least triple my portion!" Neptune's eyes turned white in shock.

"S-serves you right." Noire licked her lips and smiled confidently. "I am not going to get toyed with by you anymore. So prepare for my counter-attack." She closed one eye playfully.

"…" Now Neptune was the one blushing and shakingly holding the cone.

"Neptune?" Noire tilted her head.

"Y-yeah?" She snapped out of her trance and stared at the food that divided them.

"You can have the strawberry portion if you want it that badly." The twintailed goddess had no clue what was grinding the gears of her girlfriend's mind.

"Do ya want to try it first?" She innocently held it close to Noire's face.

"Alright?" Question marks above her head made clear how confused she was about that meek reaction. Carefully she licked the cream, but Neptune's hand was shaking so much that it was smeared across her lips instead. "Who's too frail for this job now-?" In the middle of her smart comeback she suddenly was interrupted.

By a big smooch.

Her eyes widened as Neptune kissed her strawberry flavored lips and then hastily retreated. It was really short, but all the more sweet. Mostly because of the ice-cream.

"C-couldn't let it go to waste~" Nep rubbed her head while laughing awkwardly.

Noire covered her mouth with one hand and turned redder than the strawberries themselves. She was not used to kissing yet.

"You're not mad right?" Neptune was a little worried about that reaction.

"O-of course not! I was just surprised! Geez…" She flicked her pigtail back and posed as if it was just a trifle to her.

"Then I'm warning you this time." Neptune smooched the stracciatella ice-cream like it was a baby. Then she moved her head up. "I'm going to kiss you now!"

"Ehhh?!" Actually the declaration made her even more distraught!

"Take this ticket to flavoooor toooown~!" Nep jumped forward to tackle Noire, but the raven haired girl instinctively dodged. Neptune smacked into the wood bench's backrest and left a white kiss mark on it. "I knew you were wooden sometimes, but this is a few levels above the usual." Nep said dryly.

"Y-you can't just jump me! We are in public!" Noire held her rapidly beating heart.

"Boo! This is like the least busy back alley in the entirety of the world! Are you just not in love with me anymore? Am I just a smooching octopus to you? Neptopus?!" Neptune pretended to be hurt.

"Don't be stupid." Noire wasn't falling for it. "People walk by here all the time. We could be watched right now in fact… _and I didn't mentally prepare myself yet_ …"

"What was that incredibly low voiced last part? I bet it was super amazing!" Nep was back to normal already.

"Just give me the ice-cream back!" Noire wanted to avoid more embarrassment at all costs.

"Ah." Nep looked at her hand. It was covered in molten ice-cream. And the cone was crushed.

"You didn't." The jaded red eyes were judging passive-aggressively.

"It's still good." The purple haired girlfriend said with sweat pearling down her face and licked her hand. "Shee?"

"I am not going to lick your hand like a dog."

"Waaaah! You thought I was playing doggy?!" Neptune's self confidence was crushed utterly.

"Heh." So Noire had gotten her payback.

"Oh woe is Nep." Her shoulders slumped down.

"…you missed a spot." Noire leaned forward and licked some remaining ice-cream off Neptune's upper lip.

Neptune's shocked O-face was worth the embarrassment a hundredfold!

… … ….

…

Blanc pulled her hat so deeply into her face that she could suffocate herself.

What were they _thinking_?! This was even worse than two teen romance movies fused with a young adult erotic novel! Such an explosively embarrassing level of lovey-doveyness was not possible!

And why exactly did she add all that dialogue in her head?! It's not like she had perfected lip-reading and from this angle it was even harder to do. Yet somehow all of that mushy garbage had come to her mind naturally.

She couldn't sit still. Without regards to her legs she pushed herself away from the desk and walked through her room in circles.

What was this? What _was_ this? WHAT was this?

This overflowing adrenaline, unlike what she felt in a good fight or when seeing a new book from a series she liked.

This wasn't what she felt when she read or wrote romance at all! Somehow it was thicker. Yes, _thicker_! She just described an emotion with a physical property. This was hard love? No, they were way too timid for that term, but she couldn't even dare to fathom what would come next.

Is this what 'heart' felt like?

Her giddy mood dropped like the beat in a song.

Watching Neptune and Noire's romance… that was 'heart'? But that wasn't _her_ 'heart'. That was theirs alone. Did she only borrow their essence? Was she… a parasite? Not in the closer sense, certainly, but she had leeched off of that feeling, didn't she? Isn't this exactly why she avoided using her friends as models?

"What a pile of-!" She tripped over a wire and fell face first flat on her bed. The mattress shook a little and then calmed down. Blanc moved her face to the side to breathe… it was covered in a fierce blush.

It was their fault for flaunting those emotions around. She wouldn't be taken in by it any longer. If Noire ever dared to act all uppity again, she would use this as a weapon. Or if Neptune took her snacks again she would just tell her to go lick Noire's face instead. That would teach them!

How childish…

* * *

Weeks went by and Blanc had forced herself to stay clear of all bad thoughts. Rather tough to execute for a natural thinker like herself. Of course there was no shortage of work and trouble to keep a needy person busy.

"A play?" Noire asked with a raised brow over the screen.

"A marvelous idea, isn't it?" Vert smiled confidently from the left corner.

"Is that like a stage show?" Neptune played with the straps of her hoodie.

"Close enough." Noire didn't waste time on correcting her.

The four of them were holding a live conference via webcam. Blanc was sitting in front of it with a bored expression. This meeting was all about the coming Peace Festival. She was buried in preparations for this very event in her own nation already, but each year they needed to do something between the four of them to show off the good relations and all that stuff. It was such a bother.

Blanc looked at the clock on the corner of her screen. If they solved this fast she might still be able to go to the bookstore or play with the twins. She had been neglecting them a little recently.

"Do we all agree on those terms then?" Vert asked with mild excitement.

"You got it!" Neptune gave them a virtual thumbs up.

"I will provide the costumes! I-if I must. It's all part of my duty." Noire was shifting her eyes around.

"You can't wear _all of them_ Nowa. Cleanse thy cosplayer soul~!"

"It's n-n-not cosplay! This is the wardrobe for a legitimate theatrical performance!"

"I accept. Get on with it already." Blanc said monotonously. The last thing she wanted to hear right now was them bicker.

"Wonderful. Then I will be expecting the script and casting list from you by the end of the month." The blonde CPU gave her a calm look.

"Sure, end of the month. Got it- WAIT!" The brunette goddess snapped her neck around painfully and stared at Leanbox' CPU. "Why do I hafta write the script? Who decided that?!"

"Uhm… you did say 'I accept' just now?" Nep tilted her head.

"Don't tell me you didn't pay attention." Noire's red eyes were piercing.

"Oh my." Vert acted as if she was shocked as well.

This was just making her look really bad, wasn't it? Another lecture from the twintailed honor student would ruin her evening. Blanc tapped her finger and looked out the window with a grim expression.

"I was joking." She said quietly. "I'll write a script you won't forget."

"That's a given." Nep winked.

"Even if we wanted to I bet." Noire added with a shrug.

After hanging up the call, Blanc let her head sink on her crossed arms. Did she really just agree to that? She wasn't good with deadlines. And one month for a script this important was torture. With her current state of mind she would be even more likely to hit writer's block than usual. Weren't those girls acting pretty cold anyway? Their jobs were way easier than hers! They didn't even give her a genre or any guidelines to work with.

No limitations?

Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise. She could completely unleash her imagination and write whatever her heart desired!

Not likely… Seeing as this was going to be performed in front of all of Gamindustri she had better make it consumer friendly. Something easy to digest even for children and something people could get behind. Maybe a fairy tale? Or even better _a hero story_. This would be the first time she'd write anything since Vert had told her what she was lacking. Ironically this job was given to her by the very same Vert as well.

Or _was it_ a coincidence? She raised her head and looked at the green cross shaped icon of the blonde girl's profile. Could she really have done this to see how Blanc had improved? That was one shady contractor she had gotten herself involved with. But the idea was agreeing with her actually. A chance to show off to that big busted bimbo.

To prove that she had her own 'heart'.

* * *

With unknown fervor she had started writing the script… and discarded it. Over and over and over again. She kept writing out entire stories, only to erase them at the last scene. It didn't feel right. Nothing was good enough! Her frustration grew with each written and deleted page. What was wrong with her? This dissatisfaction was not normal even for a pedantic author.

"Big sis?" Ram had opened the creaking door and was rubbing her tiny eyes. She was in her pink pajamas. Wasn't it a little early to wear those? "You aren't going to sleep? Again?"

That question made Blanc look at the clock. It was the middle of the night. In fact the sun might dawn just in an hour. Time flew by faster each day.

"I'm going soon. You should be in bed right now." Blanc tried to divert attention from herself.

"I went to pee." Ram replied tiredly.

"Don't say that. It's bad manners." She scolded her little sister and stretched her arms before leaving her desk and put the computer in sleep mode.

"Blanc is a meanie!" The pink twin wasn't happy about that reply. "You say bad words aaaaall the time." She pouted.

"I don't do it… that often." She pulled off her hat and coughed. "I'll go to sleep now, so move along." After opening the door fully she moved into the hallway and went straight for her room to show that she meant it.

"….nighty." What a cute sister she was even when grumpy.

"Yeah." Blanc's reply was short.

After throwing away her coat, boots and hat she curled up on top of the bed and hugged the blanket. Her mind wasn't ready to rest yet. So many ideas and worries were floating around inside it. There were only three days left until the first practice day. How on earth would she make a new script that fast?

She felt her eyes burn already. Her sleeping schedule was all over the place, but one thing was for sure, it only got shorter over time. At this rate she would be giving Vert blank pages…

 _(To be continued)_


	22. Episode 21: Reverie (Part 2)

**"Did you cut this entire side-plot out of _Best Girlfriends Forever!_ because of pacing and controversy issues?" I hear you ask?  
**

 **Don't be silly.**

* * *

 **Episode 21: Reverie (Part 2)**

"So it is completed?"

"Mhm."

"Splendid! I have already received your cast list. I will make haste to contact the actors." Vert said with a happy expression. "Would you kindly also send me the script? I simply want to take a little peek." She asked with her hands folded together. Through the screen and the lighting it was unclear whether she was playing around or genuinely interested.

"You're way too impatient." Blanc scoffed. "You'll see it when everybody else gets to as well."

"Such a shame." The disappointment in her voice couldn't have been faked. "I do look forward to it nonetheless. You said it was a fantasy story? A hero's journey?"

"Something like that." Blanc avoided her deep blue eyes.

"A good choice I would say. I can't wait to see little Nepgear in a handsome hero outfit." Vert's eyes were sparkling as she checked out the casting list. At least the roles had already been revealed to her.

Blanc furrowed her brows for a second. Something about Vert's attitude bothered her. She couldn't put her finger on it right now.

"You don't get a role by the way." She said almost as if to shake that drooling smile.

"Ah yes, I noticed. Thank you for being considerate." She nodded in appreciation.

"Huh?"

"I will be rather busy during these next weeks I fear. It might be impossible for me to also participate in the play." She shifted her weight on the opulent chair she was sitting in and adjusted some papers.

"Whatever." Her attempt to shake the ever calm girl up had failed completely, but she didn't care. Much.

"There is one more thing." Vert looked up and threw a few of the papers into the trash bin behind her. "Would you perhaps take on the role of director as well?" Her blue eyes were showing a new focus.

"Are you serious?" She sighed. Seeing those big round eyes was all the answer she needed. "I'm busy enough as is. Gotta write…. _Revisions_ on the script and also play the princess." She had almost messed up there. "Why don't _you_ do it? I thought that's why you said you're busy! It's your theater and your staff!" She pointed at the screen accusingly.

"Ahaha I would have certainly liked to watch over everyone's progress, but that won't be possible." Her eyes became a little distant. "But it's not like I will just go away. When I am needed I will extend a helping hand." She nodded to her own proclamation as if to assure herself of its validity.

Blanc raised a brow. She had no idea what this straw-for-brains was even talking about. All she knew was that she was trying to push more work on her. Even if she had always been interested in directing at least once… There was no way she could manage that in this situation.

"Find somebody else you lazyass."

"How rude." Vert pretended to be offended. "Although I had predicted such a reply form you as well. I took the liberty of asking IF for her support in this quest."

"Why her?"

"I believe she is quite levelheaded. Unlike most other candidates." She smirked.

"Pah."

"Princess Blanc, is it?" Vert was looking away from the screen with a barely hidden grin. "Isn't there a blooming romance between the hero and the princess?" She added with a sweet voice.

"It's not important to the plot." She admitted to Vert's predictions. Denying it now was only going to delay the issue. But did she have to look so freaking smug about it?!

"Hm. Are you going to… kiss?" She put a finger to her cheek and tilted her head. Acting cutesy to rile her up even more…!

"Hell no! This story is about reclaiming what was stolen and defeating evil!"

"But true love's kiss always saves the day."

"Only in fairy tales."

"I must admit…" Suddenly Vert faced away. "…that makes me feel relieved."

Huh? Why was she relieved? Because there wasn't a kiss scene? Blanc felt a weird lump in her stomach when she heard that. And the way the blonde girl acted was so weird as well. Just what was going through that empty head of hers?

Was she relieved that Blanc and Nepgear wouldn't kiss because-

"Even if it is make-believe, to imagine you'd take Nepgear's first kiss! Her innocent lips belong only to the one she loves~" Vert theatrically spun around and put one hand to her heart.

"Tsk." Fooled again. Should have expected her to be messing around. As if Vert would seriously be worried about a stupid kiss.

It was really stupid… to assume that she didn't want _Blanc_ to kiss someone she didn't love….

"If this is something you put in there because of my previous comment." Suddenly Vert cut right into Blanc's contemplative mood with incredibly pinpointed words. "You should not feel obligated to explore these things in a rush. I understand that Nepgear is the least problematic choice to you, but do not push yourself." Her voice was filled with real concern.

How did she do that? How did she pick up on those miniscule hints in her stone faced expression? Blanc didn't like it. She didn't like it at all!

"I don't give a damn about what you think I should do. This has nothing to do with my 'heart' or Nepgear. Your ego is as bloated as your cow udders." She hung up instantly to deny Vert a chance to retort.

Idiot.

* * *

The script was printed and then bundled up neatly in her hands. She had arrived at the theater with the small book and a pounding heart. Maybe that pounding was connected to the three all-nighters behind her that were only fueled by coffee and energy drinks. She felt like the staff was staring at her weirdly.

Every free second had been invested into this new script, but she was still not done. To make it as perfect as possible and to show that insensitive jerkface what she could do she had redone every scene a hundred times. Obviously that meant she had no time to complete other scenes. Which lead to her making some half-assed instructions like 'Just wing it' or 'Improvise' and other playwrights' taboos.

At least she was confident in the overall plot.

With eyes as heavy as led she engaged with the group of actors and friends who were all a whole lot giddier than her about the performance. IF had taken over as director and seemed more nervous than levelheaded to her. Nepgear and Cave were already reading the script and acting alongside Blanc, but a lot of the other actors were still missing. For example Neptune hadn't even shown up at all. Mysterious.

Despite her best efforts her acting was nothing short of a failure and she felt like people were paying extra attention to her mistakes today. Everyone was a critic. They made backhanded comments about the script. Even Vert. Shit.

"Okay, first what can we improve?" Vert asked patiently.

"Everything." IF replied stoically.

"Yes…" Vert put a hand on her lap and tapped her finger. "Blanc, I know you put a lot of effort into your script, but did you really consider all options with the casting in mind?" It was the most neutral way she had found to formulate her problem.

"Mhm." Blanc just nodded vaguely.

"Why do you seem so tired if I may ask?"

It seemed like that green dress was too tight on her. She looked like she was being constricted or something… or was that just her trying to suppress her frustration?

"Didn't sleep much." She replied curtly again. There was no way she would tell her about those all-nighters she had gone through to impress- _spite_ her.

"I see. It would be a real boon to our project if the playwright _and_ main heroine would at the very least rest enough to be awake during practice."

"I'm awake." Blanc replied while rubbing her eyes. Vert's brow twitched!

If her head wasn't pulsating she might have had some clever retorts, but for now she needed all her energy to keep replying. She had already added more stuff to the script each break during practice, but she couldn't do miracles. At least not ones that were connected to magically finishing a script with a flick of a magic wand.

At the corner of her attention she had noticed that the others were worried about some letter that was addressed to them by a mysterious person that called itself 'The Phantom', but she didn't think it was as important as working out the kinks in the scenes.

How wrong she was.

During the end of practice the shutters on the windows closed and the lights went out. They were all introduced to the maniac that had put herself above them and ordered them around to do her bidding.

"You have not followed my demands." A deep voice echoed throughout the place. All the staff and actors looked upwards in surprise. "It is not wise to take the Phantom lightly!"

Of course none of them would have complied with such demented demands, but…

"Oh dear, isn't this awfully tiiiiiiiiiight...?!" A noose had been tied around Vert's neck while everyone was distracted by the Phantom's gaudy display. Leanbox' CPU was pulled up at painful speeds and she disappeared into the darkness and with a loud slamming noise and a light shriek from her she was gone.

An incredibly painful cracking sound followed.

Then silence.

The lonely spotlight was still aimed at an empty place and the Phantom didn't say a word.

"Miss V-Vert…" Nepgear's eyes were widened in shock. The horrible implications of what had just transpired made her feel dizzy.

Uni went pale.

Rom hugged Ram's arm in fear.

"It… it can't be." Blanc glared into the darkness. That was utterly impossible. Even if her eyes processed the facts around her, her mind didn't accept them. A cold shower ran down her back. Every inch of her skin was pulsing as if penetrated by needles.

Vert…. that big lumbering airhead was not the type to die from this! That was a fate way too cruel! They had survived so many disasters and dangerous battles together… to be done in by some rope and gravity was bullshit!

'C'mon say something! Show yourself and laugh like the pompous wannabe lady you are!' Blanc thought while her eyes desperately darted around.

Neither the Phantom nor Vert showed themselves and each passing second was more painful. More fearful. More desperate.

* * *

In the present Blanc had moved past the broken wall and found herself caught in a hole. The ground below her had just given way and she had fallen down into the earth itself as if it wanted to swallow her whole for a little snack. As she landed on her butt inside the underground cave she was surrounded by blackness again. The ground and walls were rough and uneven, but she didn't injure herself. Now that the Shares had returned to them they had become a lot tougher again.

This atmosphere had triggered the memory of that terrible moment during the case of the Phantom of the Basilicom. Back when she had feared the worst.

She held her hurting head. Not even sure if it was because she had hit it on something or just because of the memory, she got up and leaned against the rock formation behind her.

Why was she so incredibly afraid of that memory? In the end it had turned out that Vert had not been killed off like some victim at the start of a murder mystery. In fact all of that…. All of those terrible feelings were completely wasted on that bitch. She had put all of that together as a means to…

Again she felt that sting. It was her head, right?

But that feeling of loss and forlornness was real back then. She had never been so afraid except when her sisters had been kidnapped before. It must have meant that she really didn't want to lose Vert. Of course that would have counted for any of her friends. If Rom or Ram had been dragged off that would have been even worse. In that scenario she would have blown up immediately and tried to smash that Phantom to smithereens with her hammer… which she later tried anyway.

Man was she dumb for falling for that act. It was really stupid how everyone got played by Vert's schemes. How she was playing with them… and their hearts.

* * *

The Phantom had stricken them with fear. Or at least with a new script. While Vert was used as a hostage to keep them docile, they were forced to act out the revamped script that the mysterious masked woman had thrown to their feet.

Blanc was not happy about this. Not at all. She had put a lot of work into this thing, but this 'Phantom' had rewritten entire plot strings and scenes! And the worst part?

 _It was good!_

She was furious at herself for thinking so. But the masked playwright was… simply on a different level. Whatever she touched turned into a swirl of complexity and depth like the ocean itself. And yet she had somehow incorporated all of Blanc's loose ideas as well and reorganized them to her own whims. Whoever she was, her talent was incredibly apparent.

Still she had this tendency to use outdated words for no reason and in a lot of cases she had just put red squiggles below parts she didn't like. Or made mean comments. Blanc felt like she had been returned an essay by her teacher. A teacher with very little sympathy.

"Who does she think she is?" The rightful playwright complained as she typed down a revamped scene. Her anger aside, she was still a writer. This material was too good not to play around with.

Even during these sessions her mind tended to wander towards Vert's situation. Just like Nepgear she was anxious how to act. If there was a chance to free her then she would take it. The sooner this whole dilemma was solved the earlier the blonde girl could look at this masterpiece in the making and be awed.

"Wait a darn sec." She stilled her hands. "I'm not doing this for her." Vehemently she scolded herself. Acquiring this 'heart' and writing a story that could truly be her own had nothing to do with Vert. She was simply someone that would swallow her words and be shoved aside in the way of progress. Yeah, that sounded sweet.

Still…. If she wasn't going to return then Blanc was in a bad spot.

Additionally to her work on the manuscript she was wandering the Basilicom at night. There was nothing to be afraid off. She couldn't imagine losing to that gaudy masked mental patient. Should she run into her in these tight hallways, she would smash her so hard that the roof would collapse on her and break all her funny bones. That would teach her to mess with Blanc's friends!

To calm her increased pulse she rubbed the contours of her hands softly and closed her eyes. If she lost her cool how could she find that fiend?

"I'm over here." The Phantom's voice suddenly assailed her ears.

"You've got guts!" Immediately provoked, Blanc pulled up her hammer and dashed towards the shadows.

"Over here!" But the voice echoed from another direction entirely.

"HAH!" Blanc spun around and smashed her hammer into the silhouette… but it was just a curtain.

"Bravo Madame! You have found me in your mindless searches. But what is it you desire from my humble self?" The voice came from above now.

"I'm gonna hammer that mask so deeply into your skull that ya won't be able to pull it off even if yer face tore off!" Blanc shouted back and threw her hammer above. It hit a chandelier, but nothing else.

"Crude, but imaginative. Not at all unsightly. Yet I fear my mask is already as much a part of me as that hat constricting your head so tightly is to you." The voice changed location yet again!

"Coward!" Blanc gritted her teeth. She was being toyed with, but even worse she felt powerless to get the Phantom to take her seriously. All she knew was to smash her problems in the end…

"That I am. And that you are." The Phantom agreed without hesitation.

"You bastard! Fight me! Once I beat the snot outta you, I'll pound Vert's location out of your mouth and…"

"You will bother me with her despicable name once more? You aggravate me tiny goddess. Had I not deemed you a kindred spirit, I would never have given you this chance to confess your sins." The Phantom suddenly broke out of the shadow behind Blanc.

She dodged to the side, barely avoiding the estoc that put a deep cut into her coat.

"The hell-?!" She noticed the masked woman's calm demeanor. She had stabbed ahead without any killing intent, yet it had been way too close for comfort.

"I thought we were alike. My sweet Nepgear, she is the light of my soul. But you were the shadow that would entwine with mine and grow." She spun the estoc around and sheathed it beautifully.

"I don't have any idea what bullshit you are thinking of-" Blanc glared at her and raised her hammer.

"Do you not despise that false goddess equally?" The Phantom questioned coolly.

"Eh?" Blanc's arms stopped. She needed to piece together the meaning of those words. The false goddess was how the Phantom referred to Vert, right? Then she thought that Blanc… despised Vert?

"Always belittling you, always tormenting you, always… ignoring you." The Phantom moved across the carpet with a twisted step.

Those words were like poison. It spread across Blanc's heart and body the moment it had hit her ears. Just like a deadly poison inside the bloodstream.

"It is in her nature to be cruel. To push people away and be ignorant of their feelings. And also of her own. Drenched in solitude, yet never acknowledging it. A wretched existence!" The Phantom clapped her hands all of a sudden. The loud noise compared to her low voice was making Blanc's head snap back.

"I don't care about that…" She refused to go down that path right now.

"Truly? For every moment I have observed you, there was her shadow on you. A shadow of a callous woman that has trapped you. Could you ignore your own solitude too?"

This masked freak had a way with words and how to screw them into someone's head. Blanc felt almost nauseous just listening to her. Like she was looking into a twisted reflection of something she liked… but now it was just a deformed grotesque picture.

"I'm not lonely. And I don't care whatever your beef with Vert is. I still have my own score to settle with her." She clasped her fist tightly around the hammer. Now she had the strength to swing again. It was hammer time-!

"Everyone was corrupted by her, not only my sweet Nepgear, what a sad sight to bear." The Phantom spun around with a waving cape and walked off.

"We won't let you have Nepgear either!"

"Hah! Would you rather she was at that witch's side? I will free her of that cursed influence first!" The Phantom had reached a windowsill… and then jumped through the opened window.

"You really are a coward!" Blanc kicked the window frame as she lost track of the caped woman.

Yet her words remained in the air. Nepgear and Vert? That was never gonna happen. Vert had this creepy little sister complex, but she wouldn't go that far…. right? There was no damn way that she could cross that line!

But if the solitude and the barriers the Phantom mentioned were real after all, that would mean the blonde goddess had just been holding off on her true desires all along. To be with Nepgear. It always seemed like she was pushing Nepgear and Uni together. Even Blanc could see that when she didn't pretend to be an outsider in matters of love.

If that was an act that went so far against her core desires, how did she cope? Blanc couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be close to the person they loved, yet never being able to close in on them. To be able to still support that person in their own love seemed like the work of a crazy person.

The hammer in her hand suddenly felt way too heavy and she let it crash into the laminate floor where it left a dent. Then she sank on one of the red couches in the hallway and lost consciousness. She had been awake for an entire week without rest.

The next morning she hesitantly opened her weary eyes, stung by the sunlight from the open window. As she raised her torso she felt a blanket slide down her body and pile down on the ground.

Who the heck put that on her, but didn't think to wake her up instead?

* * *

Inside the cave Blanc was guided by blue glowing crystals. They seemed to form in pretty much any cave in Gamindustri. Was this technically even Gamindustri? The Zero dimension had somehow pushed itself in here like a puzzle piece, but in the broader sense nothing here was part of their continent. But then again, the underground area was probably the squashed Gamindustri Graveyard. She might actually be inside a place that was above ground once.

Enough with the geology lesson!

She could have transformed and flown out of this damp hole, but instead she decided to explore. With no adventurous spirit, but rather the wish to be alone. This place was as abandoned as it gets.

The lights in here were similar to the spotlight at the theater as well. Pretty much anything would have reminded her of that place right now. It was just an all around terrible experience. Soon after being confronted with the Phantom's vagueness it had made its move on Nepgear and kidnapped her.

Expectedly everyone was much panicked. Still, even without their search party's efforts Nepgear returned that same night. Blanc remembered it being rather quiet backstage where she kept working on the script. Knowing the Phantom's shtick by now, she didn't fear for Nepgear's safety too much. Back then all that was on her mind was why the Phantom used spear techniques so similar to _hers_.

"Couldn't have been more frigging obvious." Blanc ducked under a low hanging stalactite.

It was embarrassing how they didn't realize immediately who the Phantom was after that display. But that was soon not so important anymore. The play was nearing the actual real deal performance and Blanc had finally managed to finish the script. She sure had been relieved back then. So relieved that she had collapsed again.

Those crystals… they were sorta like blue lamp fires. Like those back in the hot spring-

"Nope. Not going to have a flashback for that." Shaking her head she avoided that embarrassing memory. Safe to say she had found out for sure that Vert was still alive and unexpectedly free to move around. Her feelings that night were mixed. Or meshed.

Even a mixer machine that specialized into grinding all objects in existence into separate molecules and then reform them into a giant abomination of a smoothie would not be able to mix her feelings as chaotically as that night did.

Outwardly though she had stayed calm and nonchalant. That was pretty much all she could do. Maybe she had even been a little sappy. Make that _very_ sappy.

"Urgh." Didn't she just think she didn't want to remember it? The dead end in front of her was symbolic. And her boot kicking in that rock wall was even more symbolic.

Kicking in walls inside a cave was not one of her smartest ideas, but the cave-in luckily only buried the other half of the tunnel. The way she came from to be exact.

"Didn't feel like going back anyway…" She mumbled and walked on.

* * *

The play was a success, the Phantom vanquished and Vert still nowhere to be found. Great.

After the standing ovations were over they came to that most stupidly dumb foolish part of all time where they had made that bet about who won the Share race and proposing… if only she had been more persistent that evening, but C-sha had egged her on good. And that dumb couple was unstoppable. It felt like she would have ruined a great moment by saying no to the proposition. Vert wasn't there to veto it either, but for some reason Blanc felt she wouldn't have.

That kind of ridiculous bet was just up her alley.

After seeing that finale Blanc had been unfocused the entire time. The passion in Uni's and the Phantom's movements and shouts was moving. They fought for what they wanted most. For what their 'heart' told them to fight for. The Phantom had lost, but in the end Nepgear had also saved her 'heart'.

Later she and Noire had captured the Phantom's accomplice, Cyberconnect2, and after some 'interrogations' they extracted the info that the person behind this had done all of it just to get Nepgear and Uni closer to each other.

"Wait. She did all of that for those two?" Blanc cupped her chin in disbelief.

"…maybe?" CC2 whistled innocently. She was (not) the very picture of a clueless person.

"What kind of sense does that make?" Those fierce emotions the Phantom displayed were not an act! She truly wanted Nepgear to be hers. If that wasn't the case then what had she been seeing this entire time?

"She tried to help Uni?" Noire was now lost in thought as well. When her sister was brought up she wasn't as intent on figuring out this mystery anymore. "Even outsiders were more concerned about her than I was?" She bit her lip and glanced towards the door.

"Look this is getting redundant." Blanc suddenly exclaimed. "Nobody here knows what's really going on except for the perpetrator. Let's let her go and focus on the rest of the Festival first." She acted disinterested and pulled off the garden hose from CC2 (which made her spin in place like a top) and then purposely barged through the door.

"Blanc…" Noire looked after her with a guilty expression.

"Everyone's acting so darn complicated these days. This isn't some second-rate drama you know?" She left with a raised hand for goodbye and made her way back to the main hall.

"She's the most complicated of all I think." Cybercon held her spinning head with a wry smile.

With those objectable words at her back, Blanc went off to look for that very perpetrator. Noire was busy with her own issues (mainly her sister), so it was Lowee's CPU who would crack the case.

Not even she could convince herself of that reasoning though. She had to know… why was the Phantom, who was supposed to be the most selfish, sacrificing her own love for the sake of others? Was all her talk about how much she despised Vert for her barriers and ignorance just another act?

Blanc balled her fists until they shook. To her, who could not even find her own 'heart', this was completely unacceptable.

To her surprise she saw Nepgear walk up to the balcony of Vert's room. And there, illuminated by the morning's sunshine, was the blonde goddess once again! She leaned over the guard rail with a melancholic look. That was definitely Vert. She only had a band-aid on her forehead to make her seem slightly out of the usual. Without a thought Blanc hurried after Nepgear and entered Vert's room. Just as she was about to call out she heard this part of their conversation.

"My memory is sadly quite murky. I do not remember much of the last few weeks."

"It must have been horrible."

"Without memory I can hardly tell. It appears that the play has been a big success. And it is all thanks to your and little Uni's efforts."

"There was someone else that made the play into something great."

"I see."

Blanc hid behind the door and stopped her breathing. How come she didn't feel any guilt about eavesdropping? The words echoing in her brain were too loud to worry about that.

 _She didn't remember_. She didn't remember even one thing?

And the one who made the play a success were those two sisters?

Blanc bit her lip. They didn't mean anything bad by it. They really didn't. But could their words have been any more callous? Was the Phantom's existence really so meaningless? Was her and Blanc's work so fruitless? That script…. The story that had both her and the Phantom's 'heart' inside it….

"I think that wasn't just an act. Those were her real feelings." Nepgear concluded. "Maybe they were buried really deep, but she was not just an empty Phantom." Nepgear's kind voice reached all the way from the balcony to the door in Vert's room.

"I don't know that person." Vert replied distantly.

So that was it. Nepgear had understood the Phantom and Vert was never going to understand it. But Nepgear had accepted that fact as well and was now giving Vert the love she had asked for. Not the 'heart' of a lover, but that of a _sister_.

To Blanc this was still far from acceptable. She was not done with them yet!

When Nepgear left to search for Uni, Blanc moved unto the balcony where Vert was now humming in delight. Her attitude sure had changed after that little dramatic meltdown.

"Good to see you're still a creep." Blanc said as she leaned against the glass entrance.

"A sister~" Vert said with folded hands and embraced by the shining light. She was even goofier now that Gear was gone. Apparently she didn't try to act cool in front of Blanc.

"…" Being ignored as usual.

"Good morning Blanc! It is such a beautiful day, don't you think?" She turned around and gave her one of those creepy yet pretty smiles. It was hard to describe. She was only missing the nosebleed to complete the trifecta.

"Yeah." She had no idea how to deal with that. If it was any other day she'd just leave on the spot, but this time she had things to say. "You sent us on some wild goose chase."

"I would not call it that. And I have no memory of ever doing such a thing."

Then why did she object to the phrasing?!

"Guh… do you have no shame? This was all some stupid game to you and that club of weirdoes?" Not everyone was unaware of them. To keep Rom and Ram save Lowee's intelligence reached far.

"Absolutely not." Suddenly Vert's face became serious.

"Then why-"

"I never once had the desire to fool Nepgear or to hurt Uni and I will never accept those methods. What I wished for was only that they could see what they feel for each other." Vert crossed her arms below her bosom and for the first time showed some regret. "This was not the way I had wanted it to happen, but we got results…"

"You sure talk big for someone who wasn't there to see it!" Blanc suddenly exclaimed with a derisive smile. She was really mad right now.

"Perhaps." Vert didn't find it in her to deny that accusation.

"Did you see what she did? Do you understand what she went through for your stupid plan? Someone who hated you more than anyone in the world, yet was exactly like you?" She had grabbed the stone rail next to her and drilled her finger into it hard enough to create cracks.

"Is that what she was like?" Vert seemed less intrigued than morbidly curious.

"That woman loved Nepgear! I can't be told otherwise! She screwed herself over for the sake of those two. There was no chance for her whatsoever, but why did she have to give up before even trying?! And all because she put others before herself? Who said that was alright to do? Who said she could swoop in and give my script a 'heart' that I didn't ask for dammit?!" Blanc yelled and then caught her breath heavily.

Vert's eyes were widened at that outburst. Her arms loosened from the crossed position. It was nothing unusual to see Blanc's tantrums and emotional outbursts, but this one was completely different. She had poured her real feelings into them without care for her image. She had opened that impenetrable shell all by herself.

"The script…" Vert seemed to be in thought. She had obviously read it. She had talked about it in the hot springs. Back then she seemed to understand…

"Did ya think that was all me? That I could've given it that thing? The one you said I didn't even have? The one you gave-" She hit the marble next to her so hard it exploded off and then she jumped right off the balcony. Her last sentence had broken off just as fast as the rail.

Vert rushed to the edge to look where she went, but Blanc had already safely landed in the pool below. The water was actually steaming off her. That was the heat of her rage. One last time she turned her head back and their eyes met.

"She was right about you." Blanc growled and then jumped out of the pool and walked off almost dry.

 _(To be continued)_


	23. Episode 22: Reverie (Part 3)

**She should become a therapist.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 22: Reverie (Part 3)**

The cave was not empty. Several indents in the walls and craters in the rock floor showed a path of destruction. At the end of it stood Blanc with hammer in hand and rage in her eyes. Several underground dwellers had been crushed and beaten to a pulp. Monsters that had perhaps once been above ground were now going mad down here and desperately seeking escape and food.

Blanc stepped on the wriggling body of a sparking robot. She wasn't going to fall victim to some low level mobs. But this was an amazing opportunity to relieve some pent up frustrations. Maybe the rage from back then had still not faded completely.

"Beep… beeeep!" One of them suddenly released a laser beam across the tunnel to vaporize Blanc, but she just blocked it with her hammer and then threw it like a boomerang! The hammer pushed the laser back into the robot's optical lens and made its head explode in red fire. The weapon got stuck in metal remains.

"Weak pieces of scrap…" She growled and walked to pick up her hammer. This didn't solve anything. And she didn't even feel distracted. Her mind kept circling around her negative emotions.

All for the sake of a person that never existed. Or was it that she still existed, but was never acknowledged? Whatever.

Things had only gotten worse afterwards. In some sense at least. She would rather forget, but if these lingering regrets weren't addressed soon she would explode.

"Air." She suddenly felt a slight draft across her cheek while she tore the hammer out of the metal skeleton. It came from one of the tunnels ahead. If she was right about this then maybe she had found a connection to the surface. Or a monster that used pressured air moves. Either way a good new direction to take.

* * *

The thing about blowing up and alienating someone that you have to regularly deal with is…. You cannot avoid them. Blanc realized that fact all too soon.

During one of their regular meetings, during TV debates, during combined speeches, during big business deals. Over and over she was forced to talk and work with Vert. And every single time she felt like a rat trapped in a cage with a cat. Eventually that oversized feline was going to pounce and bite her neck. Until then she was going to play with her like a toy…

"Thanks for your cooperation." Vert nodded to the smaller CPU and walked out the conference room.

She never attempted once to bring up the past or to criticize her. In fact she acted as if it had never happened. Her eyes were calm and focused. Completely unlike Blanc's. That attitude of hers was… Completely unfair.

That's what the brunette thought every single time. She should have been glad that this incident didn't stand between them, but in a way she would have preferred to be toyed with. To get sour comments thrown her way. Maybe even to get teased about being childish. Quite the opposite was the case though. Vert had stopped her usual treatment of her completely. She was always in business mode now when they met. Not one disrespectful comment about Blanc's flat chest, not even a mention of her crooked personality. Everything was just… _normal_ between them. The kind of _normal_ that only existed in an impossible sterile environment without contact.

"Thanks for nothing." Blanc said quietly as she saw the door close behind the blonde girl.

And that wasn't even the end of her troubles. The feeling of having finally attained a 'heart' during the stage play had completely vanished. Her writing had become worthless. Rather than lacking a core feeling, _everything_ was terrible now. Where was the plot going? What did the characters feel? Why were they acting the way they did? None of it seemed to connect anymore.

No way or word around it, she was in a slump.

* * *

A few days later in Lowee's Basilicom.

"This is so cute!" K-sha exclaimed. She was looking at the twins' plushie collection. Some of these were pretty rare. In fact one of them was limited to only five made in the entire world. They had obtained it during a competition.

"Mhm." Blanc didn't give that statement a second though while she stared into a cat's deep blue eyes. This white cat belonging to K-sha was also called Blanc. She softly rubbed its tiny head with her hand. The cat responded by pressing its cheeks against the fingers to get the right spots to feel good. "Cute." She repeated.

"May I ask where your sisters are today Lady Blanc?" The high school girl was turning her way again and inquired so.

"Out to play or something." She replied lazily. Ram had shouted something about meeting Uni together with Nepgear to cheer her up. She had been avoiding them for some reason or so she had heard. Not that she had any idea what was going on with Noire's sister. That was more the area of expertise of the overjoyed girl behind her.

After finding out about Blanc (the cat), Blanc (CPU) had offered K-sha to visit her whenever she wanted. Something about that girl was just hitting a cord with her. And this cat was too adorable to exist. She petted its head again.

"Meow~" Blanc rolled over to let her scratch her neck as well.

"I was here only a few times, but I love this castle. It is very romantic." She folded her hands together and revered the marble floor and huge windows.

"It also has bad insulation." Blanc replied down to earth. The word 'romantic' was a sore spot right now.

"And the gardens are beautiful! I didn't know so many flowers would bloom in the snow." She added with a raised finger.

"Weeds are resilient." The small CPU pressed her nose against that of the cat. It pulled its head back cutely and sneezed quietly.

"The… the weather is nice today." K-sha cupped her chin and looked outside hesitantly.

"It's been snowing for the last month." Blanc rested her head on the table and the cat sat down on her head. Their expression was exactly the same.

"…" K-sha thought it over. Her feet took her around the table and then she sat down on the armchair in front of double Blanc Mountain. "I like you." She said with a foxy smile.

"…" Blanc had no dismissive answer to that. She did blush slightly though. Blancat was making the same troubled expression as her.

"Finally." K-sha seemed relieved.

"Sorry if I'm actin' mean." She mumbled.

"It's not that at all. I am worried about _you_ Lady Blanc." The high school girl fiddled with her cup that she had put down before and was looking at the black and golden tea inside. "If I may be so impertinent." She looked her straight into the eyes. "Do you need to get rid of a body?"

"…huh?" Blanc was caught so off guard that she jerked back in her chair. Blancat was sent flying backwards and had to claw into her hat to stay in place.

"You look like you killed someone recently." K-sha said with a seasoned assassin's expression.

"I didn't kill nobody!" Blanc retorted hastily.

"Ah, but that is what a killer would say, isn't it!?" She pointed at her like a prosecutor during a trial.

Blanc twisted her mouth and adjusted her hat that had been barely hanging onto her hair. The cat seemed relieved to be stable again.

"…I got it. Ya don't need to go that far." She sighed.

"Hehe, sorry. I wanted to see your reaction at least once." The high-school girl sounded apologetic at least.

"You shouldn't worry about some grumpy goddess from another nation."

"I worry, because it's you Lady Blanc. Position or nationalities don't matter!" She assured her energetically.

"I see." That actually improved Blanc's mood. She hadn't known K-sha too well before the event where she discovered her cat counterpart, but it was hard to be depressed when someone so bright was around. "I must be a real lost cause if I worry my guests. Do you want more tea? I can call Financier."

"Yes milady?" The maid popped up from imaginary space and refilled Blanc's cup.

"I couldn't sense her presence?!" K-sha squinted her eyes in disbelief. She didn't know that Lowee had such talented people working as simple staff. Nothing less from someone Lady Blanc chose as her personal head maid.

"…" Blanc was frozen stiff in surprise and her hand was tightly cramped around the cup in her hand.

'She was more surprised than me?!' K-sha's eyes turned blank.

"I… t-told you to stop doing that Financier." She grumbled and regained her composure.

"Did you not need a refill? My apologies." The maid simply chuckled and retreated into the back. On her way back her eyes met with K-sha's. In certain career paths people develop something akin to telepathic transmission just from eye contact (not really tho). And Financier's eyes asked of her to keep doing what she had started.

"Understood." She nodded and gave the maid another telepathic transmission.

"She always does this. Is she a frigging witch?" Blanc punched her chest to get her heartbeat back under control.

"If it is not too much to ask, could you possibly tell me what is bothering you? I'm not sure if an inexperienced person like me can be of assistance, but if it's someone you need to disappear I might do just one more job." That glint in her eyes at the end was almost too real for a joke. The aura of an assassin, huh?

"Disappear? The only one who should disappear is me." Blanc said darkly. "If you really must know… I hit a dead end in my story. Can't get out of this writer's block."

"A-aha… I heard that happens to a lot of writers." That was not what K-sha had expected to hear. She quietly sipped on her tea and waited for Blanc to elaborate.

"…there is a character in my book that had a big fight with one of her… friends." Blanc slowly circled her finger across the saucer of her cup.

"A fight?"

"Yeah. Something really stupid. You see it in all those telenovelas and stuff. They argue over something trivial and it spirals out of control. Then suddenly they don't talk anymore. It's like there is some sort of barrier between them. And the girl doesn't know how she can fix it without bringing up the fight again." Blanc kept going until she had said her piece.

"Hm. So that 'character' is really scared of the topic they fought over."

"Who said she was scared?! There is nothing to be scared of dammit!" Blanc tapped her fingers on the table in an annoyed fashion.

"N-no, I didn't want to put words in your mouth. The description just gave me that impression." She waved her hands nervously. "But why don't you just resolve that fight then? You are the author after all." K-sha asked slyly.

"If I could do that I wouldn't be in this shitty situation." Blanc clicked her tongue.

"Of your writer's block you mean?"

"That too." She rubbed Blancat's fur faster to calm herself. "I've been struggling for a while. Would've been easier if she never told me about that 'heart' stuff."

"'Heart'?" She tilted her head.

"Nevermind…"

"Oh, I get it." K-sha raised a finger. "She is in love with that other character, so she is afraid that she won't like her anymore."

 _Crack_.

That tea cup was not ready for Blanc's excessive strength. It broke right inside her clutched fingers. Luckily the tea that had been refilled just before was already empty again.

"The hell did you just say?" Blanc's voice was colder than the northern hemisphere.

K-sha gulped. She could tell right off the bat that she had committed a huge mistake.

"E-e-eh? I-is that not the plot? Sorry I read too many romantic novels recently. My friends at school recommended them to me!" She tried to steer clear of that landmine infested topic, but Blanc had already triggered all of the explosives.

"Just because she lacks 'heart' doesn't mean she wants to get it _that_ way, okay?!" Blanc ignored the shards of the cup that were crushed in her fist. Financier's disapproval was looming over the room, but the maid did not interfere… yet.

"I uh…"

"Who said love is necessary? I don't even want to imagine that. Makes me sick to my stomach!"

"W-well…"

"That's the stupidest reason to not resolve their conflict. If she wanted to be liked she wouldn't have said something like that in the first place. That was just what she honestly thought, so it's not her fault for being direct."

"Certainly...?"

"She could bring it up whenever she wanted, but that is a waste of time! Because she didn't do anything wrong. That clueless stuck-up princess is in the wrong for being a prick to everyone and not getting the hint."

"Oh?"

"Next time we meet I will make sure to stuff those words down her throat so she can choke on them and stop acting like she was the one who got mistreated by me!"

"You?"

"I meant _her_ obviously!"

"The _her_ who feels mistreated or the _her_ who is at fault?"

"There is no difference!" Blanc let her head sink in annoyance. "She is both." The realization had dawned on her.

"I think so too. But if she feels bad about it then the 'princess' will definitely hear her out." K-sha smiled. At some point the anger from Blanc had been aimed at herself rather than the raven haired girl, so she didn't feel afraid anymore. She pulled back her headband a little further and finished her cup of tea. "Are you ready to continue writing now?"

"…hmph. None of your business." Blanc was acting meek again.

'How adorable.' Even K-sha thought so. That 'princess' sure was lucky to be in the focus of this nice girl.

Blanc the cat licked Blanc the CPU's face and then jumped off her and straight into K-sha's arms. She was holding the cat masterfully like a veteran pet owner.

"I need to go before curfew starts. Thank you for showing me around and giving me delicious tea." She bowed her head.

"Don't worry about it. I am a terrible host." Blanc got up and nodded her to come along. She escorted her up to the exit of the castle. K-sha put a hand to Blanc's ear and whispered something.

"About that body… if you ever need help with one, call me." Her eyes glinted.

'She was serious!?' Blanc's eyes turned white.

Just as they waved goodbye and Blanc returned to the interior, the maid from before slipped into K-sha's vision. This time she had managed to spot her movements.

"Thank you very much for letting my Lady help herself." Financier was bowing her head to her.

"I think Lady Blanc is amazing for worrying so much about other people's feelings." K-sha stroked Blancat's back thoughtfully.

"She sometimes worries too much, but can't show or admit it. It was unfair to use you as someone to vent on, but she didn't mean anything bad by it."

"She is still more honest than Noire." K-sha said with a chuckle. "Ah, but that dishonesty is a charme point of hers too!" She hastily added with excitement.

"I agree." Financier had encountered Noire more than once by now, so she could tell. Although K-sha's heavy breathing and fire filled eyes were a little extreme of a reaction.

* * *

After her conversation with K-sha Blanc had made up her mind. She would give Vert a piece of her thoughts and then they could return to being frienemies like before. That would also let her focus on her writing again. Basically all her troubles would be solved.

"Sorry I blew up, but you are the one who acted like an idiot." Blanc apologized(?) to Vert's face.

"Is that why you ambushed me on my way to the store?" Vert asked inside the tight alleyway that she had been dragged into. "And here I was about to get in line for the limited edition sale of 'Yaoi on Ice'." She sighed disappointedly.

"You should feel bad for wanting that. I feel bad for knowing you want that." Blanc stuck her tongue out in obvious disgust.

"Is that any way to apologize?" Vert crossed her arms and tapped her fingers on top of her upper arm.

"Tsk." She knew that it wasn't a good way to go about it.

Vert saw her discomfort and sighed again. With a grandiose gesture she extended her hand.

"I was not mad at you, so let us reconcile."

Blanc looked happy for a second, but then regained her indifferent mien. She nodded and took Vert's hand. They shook on it firmly.

"While I will never understand why you were so mad over her predicament, I think I appreciate your feelings. She probably would have too." She said amicably.

"Yeah right. Neither of you has any clue how others feel." She snorted.

"A gross exaggeration. Your stone face is just a hard perusal." She flicked her hand dismissively. Something about her was still off. "Have you learned what your 'heart' is yet?"

"Seriously?" Blanc looked offended. "I did all of this just to get chewed out again?"

"You did cost me my front spot for the store line." Vert said with righteous indignation.

"Then I'll get you your stupid manga." The shorter girl said annoyed.

"It is a visual novel."

"Your visual novel."

"The limited edition with the poster and the figurine set."

"All that stuff."

"And could you also get me a coupon for the live show of the ice-skating re-imagining show?"

"And the ticket…"

"There is also the sticker album that is on sale until the end of the week. If you are already there anyway."

"And the goddess damned sticker album! Is there any other garbage I need to pick up?!" Blanc lost her patience.

"Get yourself some of this new blend of tea. It will be a wonderful alternative to that low quality stock you have acquired. It is for Financier's sake as well. I have seen the glares she threw at that shelf." Vert closed one eye and smiled.

"…you're messing with me, aren't you?"

"Fufufu." Vert was back to her old self. "Perhaps."

"Figures." The hat on Blanc's head shook as she suppressed a chuckle.

"I was serious about the tea though. That blend is just detestable." She said before handing her a note with the name of the new tea blend.

"Pah!"

* * *

In the present Blanc had found the tunnel that led to the surface. It was really steep, but noting she couldn't climb. She jumped up and grabbed a protruding rock formation. She dangled off the stone for a second before kicking the wall and catapulting herself higher to the next hold.

Steady progress. Just like her efforts after reconciling with Vert. It really had been going up again. It was not like she could just forget their fight and why she was so angry, but for the time being she had been happy with how things were.

The rock in her hand cracked and she lost hold. Before the inevitable fall she pulled up her hammer and rammed its hilt into the stone. It stuck in there perfectly still. Using the momentum of her fall she spun along the pole and flipped over it. Then she landed on it with her feet. From here she could climb much easier.

In a matter of minutes she reached the origin of the draft. It was a crack in a wall. She peeked through it and realized that she was looking into an old basement. Carefully she pulled at the old and coarse bricks, which eventually gave in and fell apart.

Inside she found no hints of her current location. The basement was old and dark without any light source. The only way to see anything in here was by the light of the crystals from the hole. Blanc ripped one out of the rift and used it like a torch. The stairs were right in front of her.

It all happened on auto-pilot as she digested her memories. If she hadn't lost control at the festival… if only that never happened, she could still act that way. That ignorant way of before.

The door at the end of the stairwell was slightly agape. Blanc carelessly pushed it open and found herself… inside a hallway. If she hadn't been so deeply in thought she might have recognized it from somewhere. Instead she kept walking down the right side to explore and find a way outside again.

The door at the end of the hallway looked as good as any. She pulled it wide open with a bang and walked inside.

 _Bounce._

Squishy resistance awaited her. Not even a dogoo was this elastic. Her vision had blackened out from being squashed between the round objects, but she pulled her head up to breath.

"What the-?!" She stared straight into Vert's face, who was equally shocked. Their faces were so close to each other that they could feel each other's breath on their skin.

Just… like… back… then…

 _(To be continued)_


	24. Episode 23: Reverie (Part 4)

**Steamax must be pretty fast, to have gotten all of those photos in time.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 23: Reverie (Part 4)**

One day the summer festival on Planeptune approached.

Blanc had secretly been looking forward to it for a while. Not because of the fun attractions or hanging out with everyone again, but mostly for the yukatas and atmosphere. There was very little more romantic and feels laden than a summer festival. The heat of the evening paired with the fun activities and topped off by a beautiful firework!

Even if she was in a total slump this would be the easiest way to gather inspiration in months. Everyone was dressed up and enjoying themselves almost immediately. It really was perfect.

At first she had hung around Neptune (Ram followed them) who had surprisingly not chosen to stick to her girlfriend tonight. They completely ruined the owner of the High-Striker by shooting the weight to space where it probably was floating to this day. They were allowed to take a prize of their choice each.

She had to slap Ram's hand several times when she tried to grab inappropriate items. In the end she took two Oni masks. One was no doubt for Rom. Neptune took some weird fan for some reason.

"Hm."

Blanc looked around the chest, but didn't find anything good. Then she spotted something glimmering in white. A pearl bracelet. This sure looked a lot like the one from that one visual novel thing Vert made her buy. Wasn't the main character wearing one? It must have been a total coincidence, because normal prizes wouldn't be that niche. Still it looked pretty good. White pearls would complement her white yukata.

She took it without hesitation and put it on. It was a little wide for her thin arm…

As she returned to the central plaza with Ram to find their other sister, she noticed some odd duo on the benches. Vert and IF? They had the aura of two defeated warrior women. Vert even looked a little blue. It was strange to see them like this though. Vert had claimed to go off with Nepgear and Rom. Usually she wouldn't let that veirdo even in a ten meter radius of her sisters, but Nepgear was with them, so it was safe. More or less.

"…" On closer observation she sure was looking relaxed. As if she had no worry whatsoever as opposed to IF who was looking pretty beat. Supposedly the ones who enjoyed the festival the most were those with no relationship or crush to distract them. That looked like the rule right now.

"Blaaanc, I can see Rom and Nepgear!" Ram pulled on Blanc's sleeve and pointed ahead. Then she sprinted off with the blue mask above her head. Rom seemed to be excited to see them again as well.

For one second Blanc turned back to the benches. But then she shook her head and returned to her group. There was no reason to rush anything.

Later on they ran into C-sha and Nepgear excused herself. Finding Uni was her priority right now. Blanc hadn't seen Noire's sister since they all met up at the entrance. Sure was weird to see the two apart.

* * *

The Loweean group made their way to the playground area near the festival where the twins were doing their best to become the queens of the jungle gym. At some point Uzume had secretly slipped in though and climbed to the top first. That made Ram only more determined to trump her, so she went on top of Uzume's shoulders. Rom was sort of forced to climb on top of her sister as well. That trio was really wacky.

C-sha of course was still stuck in the entrance tunnel with her oversized bust. Served her right, Blanc thought. It was fun to see the spectacle. She sipped on her hot chocolate in bliss. Big busted people should know their limits!

"I'm not saying this lightly… but I need an assist Blanny." C-sha said with a sweaty face.

"Heh." That was music to Blanc's ears. Now she could finally get some pressure going. "I don't know this 'Blanny' you speak of, but she's definitely not here right now."

"Uhm… would you deign to assist me Lady Blanc, my one and only goddess?" C-sha was backing down hard. Being stuck in a jungle gym really seemed to make her lose confidence in her position.

"Somehow that just sounds creepy coming from you." She shrugged and moved over to her. Using her sandals she kicked C-sha's butt several times to loosen her body from the trap. Didn't work.

"If I didn't know better I would think you are a sadist Blanny." The beret wearing girl was taking this rather well. Then again, this was not the first undeserved beating she had received.

"Shut it and loosen up. Can't you make your skin slicker or somethin'?" She leaned forward and started to pull her up by the torso.

"I am not related to frogs!" C-sha protested.

"Foo… grrr… kck! What the heck!?" She was pulling on C-sha's shoulders, but slipped up and was now holding on to her ample breasts. They gave surprisingly good hold. "Heavy… just what did you put into… these jugs…?" She stemmed her legs against the rail and pulled with even more force.

"!? Keee…. Hiii hiiii! P-please don't grope me so roughly… it makes me feel weird, kyaaa!" Even if she said it accusingly she sorta enjoyed herself. Probably latent masochism.

"Rrrrhhg! Honkers are always in the… way! Told you, too huge for your own good…" She was turning red from the exhaustion as she kept doing her best to free her friend. The jungle gym itself was starting to give away rather than C-sha. "It's all… the tea… right? Goes all to your bazongas blondie! Now who has the worse tea blends, huh?!"

"Blondie?" C-sha raised a brow while her spine was starting to get snapped in half.

"Big isn't better! Just because you can use it as storage space for your stupid games… doesn't mean it's better than mine!"

"I don't follow…" She was rubbing her temples thoughtfully while her shoulders were turned into jelly.

"I always have to save your butt in the end, which is also oversized by the way, straw for brains!"

"Okay, that one might be an insult that she uses for me as well." C-sha sighed in relief before magnificently bursting out of the children's prison and landing on top of Blanc. The metal bars had made way. "Oho, you're my savior Blanny!"

"Mgrhgmphmm….!" She retorted eloquently.

"Sorry, let me help you up." She rolled off and pulled Blanc up by the arm. Her face was even redder than before.

"Haaah… why'd I agree to go to this festival with you all?" Blanc caught her breath and wiped her face from the marks that C-sha's skirt left.

"For fun?"

"For prizes!"

"For… cotton candy?"

The trio above had watched it all with expectant eyes.

"Get down here already! Do ya want to stay up there all night?"

"'kay!" They started to climb down.

"For Lady Vert?" C-sha gave her answer with delay.

"Haaaah?" Blanc's right eye turned red. She was now locked on to C-sha's weak point and ready to ruin it.

"Ahaha, just kidding. You did mix me up with her though. It just felt like you were thinking of how to get back at her or something?" The former Gold Third of Lowee was a lot more perceptive than that, but kept quiet for the sake of world peace.

"Y-yeah. She would totally get stuck there." She pointed at the jungle gym.

"I agree. That thing was not made for adults. A hazard to all grown women!"

"I fit in there tho." Uzume said with a tilted head while sucking on the straw from a juice box.

"Uzume has the body of an athlete." C-sha raised her index finger.

"You're sayin' I'm tough?" Uzume grinned.

"The toughest next to Blanny. She is even more athletic- Ouch!" A sandal had hit her against the shins. "It was a compliment."

"Thanks I'll keep it in mind while I athletically shove you back into that tunnel." Blanc pouted.

"Anything but that!" C-sha pled dramatically.

These moments were fun. The festival was fun. It was all just as she had expected. Except… it was lacking the tension of the stories she read. It lacked the excitement of an impending confession. The conflict of a love triangle meeting at the same time. Hiding a secret relationship from friends that they ran into by accident. All the good stuff that would make decent material. This was just having fun.

But fun was enough for her. It was…

* * *

Their group reunited with most of the others as they watched a stage play together. Blanc was sitting sandwiched between her sisters, but next to them were Neptune, Nepgear and Vert. That trio had been causing a lot of commotion for a while now. Their constant struggle over who the better older sister was had made everyone weary of their presence. At least Blanc felt that way.

She glanced over at them just as they tried to force snacks on the CPU candidate. Nepgear was unable to refuse either, so she was forced to stuff her cheeks with both snacks. Blanc knew that pain. When her sisters wanted her to eat something they also never stopped until she ate both portions. For someone with a low appetite these were trying situations. Yes, big sisters had it rough…

"She's the little sister." Blanc reminded herself with a dry smirk. Neptune had always been acting like she was the little sister, but to see even Vert become such an aloof child was hilarious. Then why could she not laugh at her?

Things escalated quickly as the stage play was going out of control. B-sha had appeared in her super-hero persona to challenge the actors who pretended to be villains. That in itself would already have grinded on Blanc's gears, but the discussion that ensued next to her because of the big sisters trying to force their opinions on Nepgear was even worse.

"We need to stop her." Nepgear decided to intervene.

"Don't exert yourself, let big sister take care of it." Vert pushed her back on her seat and elegantly moved ahead.

"Nep Jr. can handle it!" Neptune pushed Vert back on her seat.

"Of course she can, but there is no need for her to burden herself." Vert glared at Neptune and pushed her back into her seat and rose again.

"I'm saying you need to take a chill break. Nep Jr. is going to listen to her real sister! We're gonna do it together! I do the punching and she the talking."

"You are just pushing the problematic details on her."

"Yeah well, you aren't letting her expand and grow and blow us all away!"

They went on and on even when Nepgear long since left them behind. This was annoying. Really annoying. Too annoying!

After all this time Vert had finally gotten her little sister that she wanted so badly. This was the result of _that person's_ sacrifice. And now she was ruining that by acting like an idiot? Neptune was no better, trying to use Nepgear to distract herself from her problems with Noire. Blanc had picked up on that too. They had been separate the entire festival. Neptune acted like a spoiled brat and was in the way… Vert acted like a lovesick idiot and was in her own way.

The battle ended as fast as it had begun.

"Nepgear, are you fine? You are not injured, yes? Your yukata didn't receive any unseemly tears?" Vert had hurried down the stairs and was pulling Nepgear into her arms like a baby.

"I…I'm fine…" Nepgear was just a little dizzy.

"You kicked her ass really good! I didn't even have to do anything!" Neptune grinned.

"Neptune! How could you be so callous? This could have taken an ugly turn, because you didn't help her and stopped me from assisting." Vert was glaring at her.

"Pffft c'mon why should I bother? Nep Jr. is a good girl who will do the stuff and ask for help if she really needs any. Don't be so stuck up. She likes a more easy-going sister!"

They were already arguing again… with Nepgear between their arms.

Behind her back, Blanc could hear Noire's dumb comments as well. She acted like her sister was just a prized horse. Something to put on a pedestal and display to everyone. Trying to make Uni be Nepgear's rival at all costs. Every single one of these girls didn't have a clue how others felt. They were all acting selfish.

Nepgear this, Nepgear that. Nepgear, Nepgear, Nepgear. Why was it always her? Why was she always the center of their attention? She didn't want that herself, couldn't they see?!

The rage in Blanc's throat was rising. It wasn't her place to lecture these idiots about their habits… It wasn't her problem that Vert was ruining what little happiness she had gained. It wasn't. But…

"A kiss should caress the pain away." Vert said with pursed lips and closed in on a blushing Nepgear.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" She exploded. Everyone looked at her, but it was too late. With righteous anger and the eyes of a terminator she punished all these useless sisters. One for one she punched sense into them. This was long overdue. All of them were just trying to show off their worst parts, so she needed to set them straight.

Rom and Ram watched in fear as their sister passed the boiling point and finished off the girls with an hour long lecture.

"I have never seen her that way…" Nepgear whispered to Rom and Ram.

"Big sis is always angry, but she can get extra super angry if she gets bothered too hard." Ram was pale.

"S-she… lectured us… for three days…before." Rom had terrifying flashbacks.

Bothered? Yeah she was absolutely bothered! It was impossible to stay sane after watching them act like that.

"Tsk… seriously, how do you not know how to treat your sisters after all this time?" Blanc had finally run out of lava that she could spew and was just disappointed now.

Neptune, Noire and Vert were all looking like empty shells. Very guilty empty shells.

"Think a little more about how you treat them from now on." She closed her eyes and sighed. Then her eyebrow twitched as she noticed that Rom and Ram had climbed on her back the moment they realized that Blanc had ran out of fuel. "And you get off of me twerps!"

"Very convincing…" Neptune said with a last spark of rebellious spirit.

"Haah?" She cracked her fist towards Neptune's direction. It was her fault that this conflict even happened. If she never had egged Vert and Nepgear on she wouldn't have had to see that.

"Yes Mistress Blanc! I will better my ways and be the best sister to Nep Jr.!"

"That position already belongs to me." Vert interjected.

"Hmmm?" This bitch was more hardheaded than a ram. Blanc was especially angry with her, so she better not make any smart comments!

"…but I am willing to share." Vert gave in after seeing Blanc's expression.

"I'll go get something to drink." Blanc had returned to her quiet self. "If anyone wants to come along…"

"My throat is parched as well." Vert followed.

"Then we should also-" Noire looked at Neptune, but she had already disappeared. "Again?"

"Get some coffee and wait for the fireworks." Blanc suggested amicably.

"…right."

Many things were left unsettled, but Lowee's CPU felt like she had finally been able to relieve this burning frustration in her chest. Was it really just because they had reminded her of how bad a sister she had been in the past? Looking at the twins, they were certainly not scared of her. They were acting more attached to her than before. If this kind of relationship could be achieved even with a hardhead like herself, then why could the others not be harmonious?

Did she want that though?

Again unnecessary questions popped into her head. It was like her psyche was trying to strangle itself today. Just because they got closer as sisters didn't mean-

"….!" Blanc held her face in shock.

"Hm? What's the matter?" Noire asked curiously as she got them cups of hot coffee.

"…" Was that it? She had been frustrated because _she_ was paying all this attention to Nepgear?

"It seems she has already abandoned this place for her inner world." Vert grabbed a cup of steaming hot tea and looked at Blanc with a bemused expression.

"No damn way…" Blanc shook her head and bit her thumb's nail. This wasn't like her. She was not jealous. She _never_ had been jealous of anyone. This feeling was frightening. An immaterial thorn in one's side that could never be pulled out. A vague sting that got fierce only when rubbed the wrong way.

"My apologies then." Vert misunderstood and thought Blanc had replied to her quip.

Blanc glared at her. She couldn't help it. This was all her fault. It was! Or at least she wanted it to be.

"?" The two CPUs looked at her questioningly. Of course they only saw her getting angry after having just lectured them. To them Blanc was probably nothing more than an unstable girl with no redeeming qualities. That was it.

"I'm going ahead." She clicked her tongue and moved towards the viewing area for the fireworks as fast as her yukata allowed.

….

…

The fireworks would start soon. The satin sky was sprinkled with mildly glowing stars. The evening breeze was comforting somehow. With this scenery Blanc had managed to calm down. She sat down her empty cup on the stone porch of the pavilion and leaned her back against the bench the three CPUs were sitting on.

Almost everyone of their group had already settled down in the area to see the spectacle. The only people who were still not back were Uni, Nepgear, Uzume and both Neptunes. 5pb. and Cave had a job to do, so they had known from the start that they wouldn't be here.

"Going somewhere right before the display?" Suddenly Vert's voice snapped Blanc out of her trance.

"I need to pick something up." Noire said with a casual hand-wave.

"It will surely be worth the trouble." Vert smiled knowingly and then returned her focus to the sky.

Blanc had no idea what that was about, but now they were the only ones left on this bench. It was rather uncomfortable. She glanced at the girl in her green yukata. She didn't seem to be bothered at all, even though she had been so brutally lectured before. To recover so easily… Actually she had always been that way. Blanc was the only one who held long lasting grudges.

She looked down at her sandals. That was more self-reflection than usual. Maybe she should write a biography. The person from the beginning of the book and the final chapter would be exactly the same though. The thought made her smile a little.

"What a relief." Vert sighed in said relief.

"Eh?" Blanc put one hand to her hair ornament and looked up to her.

"This is the first time you have smiled today. At least when I was around." The blonde girl explained.

"…like you'd have noticed." Blanc grumbled.

"It's true, I assure you. You are a grumpy person, but not without your cute moments. It is a waste to see you frown so much." She was half making fun of her, wasn't she?

"Whose fault d'ya think that is?" She replied quietly with her eyes hidden behind her hair.

"Hm." Vert leaned back and supported herself with her arms. "It seems that I have been acting quite foolish recently." She admitted.

"No shit."

"You have shown me the error of my ways. Albeit I would have preferred a less… blunt approach." She rubbed the receding bump on her head.

"So sorry." Blanc's sarcasm was biting.

"My, it's never easy with you." She looked a bit tired. "Will you at least accept my apology?"

That was unexpected for Blanc. To get an apology from Vert was like getting praised by her. Those things never happened between them. Their relationship was more… It was…

"That bracelet." Vert glanced at her arm from the side.

"Geh…" So she had noticed. Hopefully she didn't figure out why she got it.

"How nice." Was all she said and whistled shortly.

Blanc pulled the pearls below her yukata. That was a close one.

"Have you made progress on your search yet?" Vert was purposely avoiding looking her way now.

She still wanted to know? That long journey she had sent her on unintentionally. How it ended? How it was pointless the entire time?

"I don't get it." Blanc said with a shadow over her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Why do I need a 'heart' to write a good story?" She slowly let go of those inhibitions. "Why do I need to suffer?"

"…"

"It hurts. Getting so close, but never finding the damn thing. Going in circles and finding a clue, but then everything tumbles over because of some new bullshit development. Who imagines a cruel story like that? Why am I always the punchline?" She pulled her legs closer and leaned her face against her knees.

They stayed silent for a while.

"Don't be foolish." Vert appeared dissatisfied with that answer. "Nobody would laugh at your earnest attempts. Everyone has a 'heart'. Just look at the others around us. Do you believe they are a laughing stock? Are their struggles a joke to you?"

"I never said that…" Of course that wasn't the case. As much as they were bothering her sometimes, she didn't feel like their trials were something funny. Something to ridicule.

"Nobody would think of you as a clown in a bad comedy either. I would not allow such a distasteful person to look at you." Vert brushed her hair over her ear with a grim expression.

"Who made you the boss of me now?" Blanc looked away with a confused expression.

"I may be acting out of line. It is your journey after all. It was my fault that you have stumbled once." She was still looking only at the stars, never tearing her eyes away.

Is that why she gave her this encouraging speech? Because of guilt? If that was the case then Blanc at least could follow her reasoning now. Vert was definitely at fault. There was no doubt about that. But Blanc didn't like this apology. It was wrong somehow.

"What I intend to say is. Well." She hesitated. "I am your ally. If you stumble I will promise to give you my hand to rise once more." Finally she faced Blanc with her deep blue eyes and gave her those honest words of support.

An ally? The one who forced this on her was the greatest ally she had? Now that was the true joke...

"You will…. Help me find my 'heart'?" Blanc's voice was dry. Her throat felt parched although she just drank so much coffee.

"Yes." Vert agreed without hesitation this time.

"Even though I searched so much I could only copy other's 'hearts'. I needed an example. Someone to follow. You know… experience." She was still getting quieter.

"Mhm." Vert nodded.

"But I don't want to use others anymore. It's a shitty thing to do." She clasped her yukata with her shaking hands.

"I see."

"So…" Her heartbeat stopped. Her eyes were wide. All of a sudden it hit her.

In the background they could hear an announcement. 5pb. declared the fireworks would begin in a few seconds. Vert looked back at the sky expectantly.

"…me." Blanc's voice faded behind the crowd's chattering.

"Pardon? I didn't quite hear you-" The blonde girl turned back to Blanc, expecting her to still be hunched over but-

Transient light blue eyes were closing in, ever so soft their gaze. Yearning, yet delicate.

And before the first firework reached the peak of the sky and combusted into a lovely flower of fire, their lips met and a kiss was sealed equally blooming.

Vert's heart stopped.

Blanc closed her eyes.

"Lady Vert, I got some digestive tea. It might help your stomach recover from-" IF had walked into the pavilion, holding a can of tea in her right hand. As her green eyes took in the scene in front of her, all words got stuck. But IF was not tactless. She knew that she had made a mistake, but rather than crying out like an idiot or falling silent mid-sentence, which would have been equally suspicious and attention grabbing... "I will leave it on the table if you'd like some later." ...she casually finished her sentence. All her muscles stiffened up as she hastily put the can down and turned away.

She had seen something she shouldn't have. Her face turned red.

BOOM!

The first firework went off and pulled all attention away from the pavilion.

"That one looks like a tiger!" Ram declared excitedly.

"Look Iffy, it's all red~!" Compa pulled her over and pointed at the chain of red petals in the sky.

"Y-yeah." For the guild member the fireworks were infinitely less important right now, but she didn't show any betraying signs to Compa and the others.

 _(To be continued)_


	25. Episode 24: Solstice

**Episode 24: Solstice**

"You surprised me." Vert said with feigned composure. The two of them had pulled away from each other after Blanc had bumped into her chest. The distance between them was decidedly vast.

"Why'd you stand in the middle of the doorway? Not my fault." Blanc put her hat back on straight.

"I… was about to leave."

"Uhuh." That was a sensible explanation actually. Maybe the fault lay with her after all. She had just briskly stormed into this room without considering that someone was in here… "Wait." She finally realized where she had ended up. "This is my room!"

Vert's shoulders twitched.

Yes, this was her guest room in the Zero dimension's Basilicom. She had left here not too long ago. What the hell? Had she really gone full circle? What were the odds? It was almost comical. Blanc tilted her head in thought.

"M-my, look at the time. It seems that I will have to return to Leanbox now." The blonde CPU passed her smaller colleague with a calm demeanor and moved to the door.

 _Pat._

A hand was put on her shoulder.

"Hey." Blanc's voice rang through the quiet room. "What were you doing in my room?" Those were the words Vert wanted to hear the least it seemed as she stiffened up.

"W-well, you said that you would return home. What happened to that determination of yours?" She dodged the question!

"I didn't say I'd go home. Only that I would go for a walk." Blanc corrected her.

"My mistake then." She was sweating…

"You can see the Basilicom's entrance from this window." Blanc continued the conversation casually while still holding Vert in an unyielding grip. "Too bad I came from the basement, eh?" Suddenly she felt incredibly sharp. Everything seemed to fall into place. Except for one thing… "Don't make me repeat myself." She squinted at her from the side. "Why were you in here?"

"…" The busty goddess fell silent. For her to be so evasive, she must've regretted this situation quite a lot.

"My bed…" She analyzed the room. "It's tidy."

Vert relaxed.

"But when I left it was a mess."

"!"

"And the computer isn't running. Even though I left it on." That was a bad habit of hers, but she had no mind for guilt right now.

With each observation Vert was left more panicked.

"If I didn't know better I'd say that someone tried to make it look neat like it would've been before. But _I_ didn't make it all tidy and nice."

"It slipped my mind." Vert said with a distant voice.

"Hm?"

"My thoughts were elsewhere. I had forgotten that you were a slob." She shrugged in defeat.

"What did ya say?!" She let go of Vert's shoulder to make a fist.

"Don't deny it now. Your sloppiness is legendary. Even Neptune would feel at home in such a wild room." Vert kept poking holes in her patience in a demeaning manner.

"Did ya seriously come'ere just to pick a fight?!" Her eyebrow twitched in response to the sudden attitude. One might say Blanc had been successfully thrown off track.

"Naturally I would not waste my precious time on something like that." Vert crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Then why?" Blanc scratched her head in annoyance.

"…if you keep trying to make me say it I will leave right this instant." For the first time in a long while Vert said something truly aggravated. She was not her usual aloof self. No, not even her sarcasm was like this. She was actually reacting… emotionally. Upset.

If she did something that would upset her this much it must have been unthinkable. But Blanc didn't know what could be so extreme. In her room no less. Everything looked pretty normal?

"My documents!" She hurried to the computer and booted it up. After the familiar jingle she checked the files retaining to Lowee's secrets. There was no alteration to them and the last time they were accessed was this morning before she left.

What the heck? If it wasn't economic espionage, then she had no idea what could be bad enough to make Vert that guilty and prickly. She leaned her head on one hand and scrolled through her files. She could feel Vert's presence behind her. That blondie still hadn't left. Apparently she understood that she wasn't allowed to go just yet.

"Huh?" She noticed that a few text files had increased in size. Particularly… those of the story she had been writing on for the last months. The one that she was agonizing over so much, unable to finish. With a shaking finger she double clicked and opened it up.

Minutes later she had skimmed through it all.

"You… did…. this?" She could barely press out the words.

Vert did not reply.

"After all of that…" Blanc covered her face with one hand. "Why?"

"Because I am your ally." Vert replied silently.

"Well shit…" Blanc felt her eyes get hot. The urge to cry was growing immensely.

"I'm sorry." Vert apologized and suddenly Blanc felt the blonde's chest press against the back of her head while her arms embraced her from behind. It was… a pleasant feeling in its own way.

"The hell are we even doing?" She didn't know how to cope with this situation other than to ridicule it.

"I am thankful this isn't a quiz. I would have lost a lot of points because of you." Vert whispered with uncertainty.

"I need some fresh air."

"Indeed."

* * *

They ascended the stairs to the top of the tower. The rooftop was windy and fresh, but it didn't bother them. From here they had a good view on the half-ruined city below. The horizon of this capsule dimension seemed to be endless, even though there was a clear barrier between the edge and Gamindustri.

"Do I even wanna know about the bed?" Blanc asked while leaning against the railing. Her coat fluttered in the wind.

"I'd prefer you didn't." Vert was actually turning slightly red.

"…" Even Blanc couldn't tear her eyes away from that sight.

Things between them only had potential to become more awkward it seemed. Vert moved to the railing as well and rested her chest on it with a sigh. They did look heavy sometimes.

Blanc was hopelessly lost in a swirl of emotions. After all that thinking she had done the conclusion was what terrified her the most. Some may have said that this troubled face of hers was endearing.

"I only found it with you." She said mysteriously.

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't know. It makes me feel like I can't do anything… on my own. Just can't make sense of this stuff." She said exactly what was going through her head. "Is it wrong that I don't mind it anymore?"

"It would be foolish to ask _me_ to give you an opinion on that matter." Vert smiled faintly. "As I am the same."

"Sometimes I wanted to have someone close to me too." Blanc went off on a tangent. "You know… f-for comfort."

Vert nodded with a pounding heart.

"Everyone's got their weak moments." She played with her hat. "That's not what I wanted to talk about. Stupid." She scolded herself.

"Cute."

"Huh?"

"Ah… u-uhm it's nothing." Vert fidgeted around. Suspicious.

"How did I end up here?" Blanc was utterly defeated. "I can't believe I am saying this, but…" She grabbed the rail with both hands for support and looked up at the mildly glowing sky. "Wanna date?"

Silence.

Then Vert almost fell over the railing and started to cough ceaselessly. The reaction hadn't come as much of a surprise to Blanc, but it was still a little embarrassing.

Scratch that, she had long since passed embarrassment and hit the realm of contend with the universe. No matter what happened next, she felt like things were in balance again.

"Y-y-you must be joking." Vert finally regained her breath and put a hand on her chest to calm her heart.

"No good?" Blanc leaned her head to the side and looked up to Vert with a cute expression.

"Hnng…" Apparently this wasn't a question of _good_ anymore, but rather whether Vert would _survive_ this assailment of cuteness. "Is this also for 'material'?" She asked with a twitching mouth.

Blanc looked down at her feet. Her mind shifted a few times before she came to her conclusion.

"No."

"Oh."

Some noise would have been really appreciated right about now. Even the chirping of a bird to save them from this oppressive atmosphere.

"Do not get me wrong, but I can't give you a fitting answer without knowing this fact." Vert moved away from the rail and stood in front of Blanc now. "Was that a confession?" She asked seriously.

She was tall. Blanc only really noticed it now that she was looking up to her pretty face. That determined expression made her look like a noble or something.

"I don't know." She replied truthfully.

"Heavens." Vert lost her cool façade and let her head sink. "You never cease to amaze. Such a troublesome princess."

"I am not a princess." Blanc said with red cheeks. "Aren't you the more sophisticated type?"

"A modicum of manners and style are a given for a lady, but only royalty could act so demanding and torture her subjects as you do." Vert said with a wry smile.

"I wasn't trying to-"

"Then let me reiterate. You ask me to start dating you, but without being certain of your feelings for me?"

"If you put it that way…" Blanc was feeling bad too; she just had trouble showing it.

"Would you be interested to know my side of the equation as well?" Vert crossed her arms derisively.

"…" Blanc suddenly turned squeamish. Her arms felt like pudding and her head was heating up.

"Don't make that expression! You have no right to act like I am the one putting you into a tough spot." Vert looked miffed.

Nod.

"Hm?"

Nod nod.

"You… wish to hear me out?"

 _Nod._

"Now I am not too sure myself anymore."

 **Jab.**

"Goodness… a lady's body is delicate, weren't you aware?" Vert held her hurting waist. "I… am _truly_ not sure myself. Recently I have realized that you are indeed someone I wish to look out for. You are certainly cute. Almost like a little sister."

"HUH?!" Blanc was shocked for many reasons after that reveal.

"This is even more agonizing than expected." Vert looked disgruntled, but then she put her arms around Blanc's back and pulled her into an embrace.

"!"

"I am not certain what these feelings are yet. Please forgive me for being this way." She whispered into her ear. "That kiss had completely thrown me off. To steal my first kiss so brazenly… Have you no shame?" She didn't sound angry though. More like… endeared.

Blanc squirmed in the embrace like a fish pulled on land.

"S-sorry." She was tearing up.

"No harm done." Vert looked at her warmly. "To answer your question then: I don't mind."

Blanc's ears perked up. Surely she had misheard? If she just went over the conversation again… and again and again! But there was only one conclusion.

" **I will date you.** To find out what these feelings really are." Vert agreed with a slight flush on her face.

"Ha-a-ah…." Blanc deflated like a balloon. Her oxygen had been cut off for a while between those ample breasts.

"Blanc? Wait, did you faint? Please open your eyes! Stay with me!"

* * *

 _Lowee's Basilicom._

"How! Did! This! Happen!" Back in Lowee Blanc was hammering her head against a wall with the intensity of a wrecking ball. It left visible dents.

"Big sis, is this a new game?"

"Yes! It's called _forget everything_!" Blanc yelled and kept going.

"It looks like it would give you ouchies." The pink wearing twin seemed slightly worried. "Will the wall be okay?" For the wall.

"I don't caaare!" If she imagined this wall as Vert she could very well live with a few more dents.

"Blanc… is happy?" Rom tugged on Ram's dress and tilted her head.

"Yup!" Ram agreed.

"I'm not happy at all twerps!" She denied the accusation with a red face. And the redness didn't come from her continuous impacts with the wall.

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Leanbox._

"Dating, huh?" Vert was clicking the mouse buttons at the pace of an automatic rifle to speed up the mining in her MMO. It was a monotonous work that allowed lots of time for introspective.

"Did you say daaaating Vert?" Chika creeped up from behind her chair where she had apparently been hiding the entire time. Her breathing was way too rough for such a small action. "If you need a partner I will always, always, always be available! I will even cancel all my plans! Just say the word!"

"That is sweet of you Chika, but I already have a partner."

"GEEHA!?" Critical hit. "H-how… is this possible?" She sank to her knees. "I thought now that the devious Nepgear has been eliminated all my rivals had vanished." Those fallen in eyes… the eyes of despair.

"Haha." Vert laughed sympathetically with furrowed brows. "It is a mystery to me as well."

But the longer she pictured herself at Blanc's side the less problematic the idea appeared to her. Whether this was love or not, she could not tell. But she felt that the small girl was gaining a bigger space in her heart.

"But it's still 60% territory of Chika, right my darling Vert?!" She held on to her arm from the side as exaggerated tears were spilling from her eyes.

"I wonder~" Vert chuckled.

 _(To be continued in: Best Spouses Forever!?)_


	26. Episode 25: Best Spouses Forever? (1)

**And you thought the title was just there for show.  
**

* * *

 **Episode 25: Best Spouses Forever!? (Part 1)**

 **[** Two years have passed since the world had permanently changed by the fusion with the Zero dimension and the return of the Shares. Many things had happened, from small steps between relationships, to big fights that decided the fate of the world yet again. The Zero nation had grown substantially, but did not try to compete on the same scale as the four established ones. A new balance had been found and things had normalized over time. There was still no clear winner in the Share race to be found. Everyone experienced the usual ups and downs as technology progressed and games were released.

Yes, things have become peaceful. In the wake of this age of prosperity we were surprised to hear the news from Sis and Miss Noire that would change everything one more time- **]**

"Nepgear are you narrating again?" Uni put a hand on her shoulder and interrupted her recollection. "You still need to change, so could you wait with that until later?"

"Uni your hair is down!" Nepgear gasped as she looked at her girlfriend. She visually examined her from head to toe and was simply mesmerized. Uni was wearing a formal black and white dress and had her hair down in an uncharacteristically straight fashion. The two ribbons above her ears were accentuating her cute appeal perfectly.

"I know it looks weird on me. You don't have to stare so much." Uni sighed and played with the tips of her flowing hair.

"No no no! It looks beautiful!" Nepgear shook her head and corrected the misunderstanding. Coming here was already worth it just for that sight alone!

"Your exaggerated compliments always come way too easy." Uni put a hand on her forehead to hide her embarrassment.

"Then should I wear twintails today? It would be like we switched hairstyles." Gear suggested happily.

"That's unnecessary, just put on your dress already." Uni objected and urged her to get changed.

"You're right. I couldn't really pull them off like you do." Nepgear admitted and grabbed the dress from the mannequin.

"You already look perfect the way you are…" Uni whispered.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"Of course not!" She made an X with her arms and turned away. "I'll be waiting outside!" She fled like a debtor from their debt collector.

Nepgear didn't question Uni's odd behavior in the slightest. She was always like that, so Gear just filed it under 'cute reactions'. That folder was getting huge.

After putting on her white dress with the purple blouse below, she checked herself in the mirror. The flower ornament (instead of the usual D-pad) in her hair was a little uncharacteristic, but she felt it was appropriate for today.

Today. An important day. The day they had awaited for two years already.

The day of Neptune and Noire's wedding.

* * *

Deciding that she had brushed up her ego enough, Nepgear left the guest room. The hallway beyond was filled with the early noon sun. All the giant windows were wide open, letting in the cool air and blinding light. Nepgear shielded her eyes and squinted to see the forest outside in strained colors. The lush greenery surrounded the building like a protective barrier. Only the sky above was wide and free.

Shaking off the tranquil thoughts she peeked around the door, but couldn't catch a glimpse of Uni anywhere. She had told her that she would be waiting outside. Just not where exactly.

Unsure if to wait or explore Nepgear kept walking up and down the hallway. She stopped in her tracks when she began to hear voices closing in on her.

"C-could you not cling to my arm so much? It's hard to walk like this." That voice undoubtedly belonged to IF. And judging by what she said the other person must have been…

"Do I have to~?" Compa replied playfully. "You don't want to be close to me Iffy?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Nepgear could almost _hear_ her blushing. It put a smile on her face. Fully aware that it would stress IF out even more she casually turned the corner and met up with them.

"Hi!" She greeted them happily.

"Gear?!" IF reflexively tried to back away from Compa, but the nurse's arms and bosom were tightly wrapped around the guild members arm. She would have had an easier time wriggling out of handcuffs.

"Ge-Ge! That's a really cute dress." Compa complimented her with a smile.

"Thanks! It's also nice to see you two dressed all formally." It was a rare sight indeed. IF wasn't wearing her Ninebrand outfit, but rather a reserved short dress that offered more practicality than a cocktail dress like Compa's, but still looked formal enough. It definitely suited her better than something fancy. Of course Compa's red and black dress showed off her curves and hourglass figure, but it also gave her a more serious atmosphere compared to when she wore her comfy sweaters.

"If you say so..." IF was visibly uneasy being looked at right now. Whether it was because of her outfit or Compa's clinginess, Nepgear could not tell.

Nepgear couldn't help but snicker with a hand in front of her mouth. Seeing the stoic IF reduced to a blushing mess was a sight to behold. She had become rather meek ever since she confessed to Compa about a year ago. Apparently she had been pushing it off for a long, long time. And then on the last Valentine 's Day she finally went for it. Nobody knew how it happened and the duo would never tell a soul (probably on IF's personal request), but Compa did somehow accept her feelings. And she was not shy about showing it off either. Much to IF's (weak) protest.

"Didn't you arrive here with Uni?" IF suddenly changed the topic.

"That's true." Nepgear nodded. "But she left for a bit and hasn't returned yet."

"Maybe she wanted to find Lady Noire to cheer her up?" Compa guessed.

"She didn't want to meet up with her before the ceremony she said. We even came separately and all-" Gear put a finger to her chin in thought. "Hm? Cheer Miss Noire up? Why would she need to do that?"

"Uhm…. We met her on the way to the Zero Basilicom. She looked a bit-"

"Grumpy." Compa finished her sentence.

"Not how I would have put it! But… yeah. Essentially." IF shrugged.

"Gosh… and on the day of the wedding no less." Nepgear felt a tinge of unease from that information. If Uni had heard someone mention this she definitely would have rushed to Noire's side.

"It will be fiiine." Compa assured her. "Nep-Nep will make her very happy today!" Seeing so much confidence put into those words was reassuring.

"If you still want to find her, maybe mingle with the other guests?" IF suggested. "Most people already arrived hours ago." She added with a sigh.

"We needed to make you look extra cool and nicey-nice today!" Compa picked up on her partner's frustration, but took a hard-line stance.

"What does it matter if my hair is completely straight or if the necktie is tied with the formal knot?" The brunette girl mumbled.

"If Iffy dresses sloppy then I will too." Compa was about to loosen her collar, dramatically increasing the size of her v-neck, but IF grabbed her hand just in time.

"I got it! I really do! Forgive me!"

"Reaaally?" Compa puffed her cheeks.

"Really!" IF gave her a wry smile as sweat ran down her face.

"Great! Let's go find Nep-Nep! I want to see her pretty dress too." She returned to her aloof attitude and pulled IF along.

To nobody's surprise Compa was in total control. IF was clay in the nurse's delicate hands. She made a pitiable expression as Compa dragged her along, still hugging her arm. Gear just waved her hand and let them go.

The advice had been good though. Mingling with the attendees was sure to turn up some info on where Uni went. With that in mind Nepgear proceeded to walk down the stairs into the atrium. The old marble floors and pillars were giving the place an opaque feeling of importance. The wooden gate had been flung wide open to welcome all guests inside.

And many had gathered already. As expected of the CPU's social circle, the masses of people were more reminiscent of a small parade than a group of wedding guests. Family, friends, co-workers and other close acquaintances were filling the hall and the rooms next to it. If she greeted everyone present it might have taken an hour...

Instead she squeezed through the crowd and walked over to the edge of the hall where she had spotted a certain someone from above.

* * *

""Uzume!"" The twins called out in unison.

"Yo RomRam what's up-?" The redhead turned the twins' way, just to be shocked by what she saw. "Huh? What happened?!"

""What's wrong?"" They replied in unison.

"You're wearin'…" Uzume was stunned. The twins were both wearing white dresses! No distinctive colors at all!

""Can you tell us apart?"" They smiled like a pair of creepy horror movie twins.

"Totally, because Ramsy has long hair and Romsy short- eh?" Uzume's face turned blue in horror. The twins were both wearing long braided hair! "Did ya grow it out Romsy?!"

""Maybe."" They replied in sync.

This was a daunting task indeed. The twins were usually distinctive enough with the way they looked and acted, but now they tried their best to become the same person! How did she deserve to be tested so harshly? She balled her fist in front of her chest and looked down in shame. Wasn't this like saying she couldn't tell them apart if they just acted a little differently than usual? What kind of shitty friend would be so stupid?

"What's your favorite color!" Her eyes suddenly sparked as she came up with a perfect plan.

""White."" They replied without delay.

"Dammit!" They totally saw through it!

"White ain't even a color in the first place." Suddenly Blanc's relaxed voice cut through the tension. "That wig doesn't fit you Rom." She easily pulled off the long hair wig from her sister's head, revealing her short, yet equally prettily prepared hairstyle.

"Wha-!?" Uzume was flabbergasted.

"Bleh, no fair big sis!" Ram stretched out her tongue and pouted.

"Don't act like a brat."

"How could you tell it was her?" Uzume couldn't believe it.

"Hm? Because Rom is Rom." Blanc answered her question with a lazy gaze.

Seriously? Uzume felt a gorge open in her chest from defeat. Nothing could compare to a sister's intuition in the end.

"I gotta put on my own costume, so you two behave, got it?" Blanc put her hands on the twins' heads and then walked off towards the changing rooms.

As soon as Lowee's CPU was out of their field of vision the little sisters put the wig back on and shuffled around while Uzume was still watching Blanc leave.

"Your big sis sure is somethin', right?" She turned back, just to stare into the mirror images again!

""Can you tell who is who?"" They repeated their riddle with glee.

"Youuu… Will be super impressed when I figure it out right now!" She wasn't going to give up easily. Big boasts wouldn't lead her to success though. She needed a strategy.

That's right! A flash of lightning went through her mind. She had just remembered. Ram didn't like horsebird meat, while Rom was neutral on it! If she just made them both eat some she could tell by their reactions.

"Do you have some horsebird legs with ya?" She asked excitedly.

""We didn't bring any food.""

"Figures…" Uzume's shoulders slumped down. Relying on unavailable items was pointless.

"Oh my, little Ram you have some dust on your shoulder." Vert's relaxed voice tickled their ears and the busty goddess appeared right behind the twins as if she had simply sprung into existence.

"Eh?" Ram looked surprised when Vert wiped her shoulder and rid it of dust.

"That wig is very adorable little Rom, but I suspect it does not bring out your natural charm as much." She tenderly pulled off the wig from Rom's head just as Blanc did before.

"EHH?!" Uzume fell into despair. This hadn't anything to do with family relations anymore! "Y-you could tell so easily Vertsy?"

"Naturally, because Ram is Ram." Vert replied casually. Her standard smile accompanied those words, showing that it really was no big deal.

"Meh, who cares about some dust?" Ram snorted and looked at Vert with displeasure.

"You might take a little too much after your dear sister." Vert said with a barely hidden sigh. "Your natural cuteness should be emphasized with all possible expenditure. I am certain Blanc would agree."

"Blanc doesn't care about it either!" Ram objected.

"My, you underestimate how much she adores you two." Vert said confidently.

"Wow, Vertsy knows a lot." Uzume whispered towards Rom. The calmer twin nodded.

"Miss Vert has been with big sis for a long time. They always argue…. About something. But they really know each other's… likes and dislikes." She clumsily explained. Relationships were still too complex for them.

"Didn't think of that." It made sense now. Vertsy was hanging out with Blanny so much that they could read each other's minds at this point (or so she heard), so of course she could tell the twins apart!

"Speaking of Blanc." Vert regretfully ended her small talk with Ram. "Wherever did she disappear to this time? She seems to be avoiding me once again." There was a hint of impatience in her voice.

"She went to get changed." Uzume explained unaware of Vert's slightly shifting facial features.

"Is that so? How odd." She said with a neutral smile. "Do you happen to know where she intends to do so?"

"That way." The redhead pointed in the direction of the changing room that Blanc picked out.

"Thank you very much." Vert waved them goodbye for now and slipped through the crowd.

"I feel bad for big sis…" Ram said with lines for eyes.

"Huh? Why's that?" Uzume was clueless as ever. "Better put that wig back on now Romsy, 'cause I'm going to do it for real this time." She cracked her knuckles. 'Losing' wasn't part of her dictionary.

The twins gave her bright smiles. They certainly enjoyed themselves. After putting the wig back on the girls shuffled while Uzume closed her eyes. Then they called out to her that they were ready.

Uzume opened her eyes and focused. There must have been some obvious hint she was overlooking. She wasn't part of their family and neither did she know Blanc that well, so it couldn't be helped if she was at a disadvantage. It just made sense for the other two to get it instantly. But if she just studied their every move and quirk….

The CPU candidates were standing perfectly still. They might as well have been clones!

"You are… no you are… It's definitely…" Her finger went back and forth between them uncertainly. She closed her eyes and pointed at the left twin. "You are Romsy!" In the end she only could leave it to chance?

The girls opened their mouths to reveal the truth, but just then another person approached and stopped them.

"It's not nice to trick people Ram." Nepgear raised a finger and scolded the right twin.

"Miss Nepgear! That dress… I really like it." Rom pulled off her wig and smiled at the new arrival.

"Aw, thanks. You are really cute too! Did you put on some lip gloss?"

"Ew, no. That stuff tastes bad!" Ram denied it vehemently.

"You aren't supposed to eat it!"

"S-so I was right!" Uzume suddenly raised her fist above her head and cheered. "What's that about tricking me though?"

"They are both wearing wigs." Nepgear explained. Ram pulled off her long haired wig and then the short-hair wig below it.

"Is she a matryoshka doll?!" Uzume jerked back in surprise.

"Wasn't your head really hot?" Gear asked concernedly.

"I don't feel hot at all. I'm cooling my head with magic." Ram replied with a smug grin.

"Kind of a waste of SP…"

"Hehehe, let's find someone else to play with Rom!" Ram took her sister's hands and they ran off giggling.

"I was utterly defeated. I suck. Can't even tell my friends apart." Uzume accepted her shame. "Gearsy could do it, so I should've been able to as well."

"I've known them for a bit longer." Nepgear said diplomatically.

"Thanks Gearsy." Uzume released her breath and then put her hands on her waist. "Anyway, good to see ya again. And lookin' all elegant too."

"It's a really important day." Nepgear said with a hint of excitement. "Thanks so much for letting us hold the wedding here." She added and bowed her head.

"Hey, no need to hunch down for me! This ain't much trouble at all. I get that you don't wanna do this in a Basilicom or public church."

They had requested to hold the wedding in the Zero nation for many reasons. This building was an old mansion in one of the forests, far away from the main city. It was just secluded enough to be out of the public's eye, but still not hard to reach by foot.

"But it's a little rundown actually…" Uzume put a hand to her chin and looked slightly unhappy.

"I think it is really fancy!" Nepgear disagreed. "It's not rundown at all. You even gave it this new paint job."

"Haha, that part was fun. You shoulda seen Umio with a paintbrush in his mouth. He tried his best to hold it in his fins first, but it slipped away so much that he covered himself in white paint." She laughed at the memory and Nepgear chuckled at the thought as well.

"Are you not going to change as well Uzume?" Nepgear suddenly realized that the redhead was wearing her causal outfit.

"Ah… about that." Uzume scratched her cheek. "You'll see." She didn't want to elaborate at the moment apparently. "Where's Unisy? Didn't you arrive together?" She looked around curiously.

"Actually that's what I wanted to ask you about. So you didn't see her come by here?" Nepgear tilted her head.

"Nope. Didn't even get to see so much as a hair of her yet. I was busy preparing some stuff in the chapel." Uzume explained.

"I see. No problem, I am sure that I will find her if I keep looking." She clapped her hands.

"See you at the main event then~" Uzume saluted with two fingers.

"Kyaaaa spiders!" Dengekiko yelped and got Uzume's attention.

"You're such a crybaby." Famitsu said with barely hidden schadenfreude.

"S-shut up! They are just gross and- eeek! D-don't put your cold fingers on my neck!"

"I'll take care of 'em!" Uzume ran towards the direction of the 'emergency'.

* * *

Nepgear kept asking around for Uni, but none of the guests had seen her yet. What kind of secret route could she have taken?

"Still on the prowl for her Gear?" IF suddenly came out a side room with a raised brow.

"Yes. I can't imagine what was so important that she still didn't come back." Nepgear crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling.

"Well I don't know about her, but at least I've found out about the cause for another mystery." The guild member said with one hand on her side.

"Golly, which one?" She looked back at IF.

"The schedule might get delayed, because the bride is fashionably late." IF shrugged.

"Which one?"

"Which one do you think?" IF's green eyes dulled and she gave her a dry smile.

"Sis…" Nepgear let her head sink. "She couldn't have overslept… right?"

"I don't think even Nep would be that carefree. Hasn't she been excited for a while now?"

"Yes, she talked about nothing else since Miss Noire suggested the date." Nepgear smiled. She remembered that day well, because Neptune had never shouted louder than that time. The shock had petrified her for a few hours straight.

Noire had made the arrangements beforehand as a surprise and it certainly worked.

"Compa is looking out at the main entrance to tell us when she arrives. I think it's pointless, because… you know Nep." IF smirked.

Both of them had the same thought. If Neptune was going to appear at this wedding then it was definitely going to be a unique entrance.

"Did you check the cake yet?"

"First thing I did. It's not hollow."

"That's a tiny bit disappointing." Nepgear scratched her cheek.

"I actually feel the same. Hanging around that whirlwind for so long must have made me lose my common sense." IF shrugged and walked back into the entrance hall. "Lady Noire is over there. She didn't see Uni either, but if you want to talk to her before the main event…"

"I will!" Nepgear said and swiftly moved into the side-room.

Inside the air was strained. A palpable feeling of tension gripped her. The center of that stressful atmosphere was the hunched over CPU. Noire was leaning over a table with papers. And she was constantly mumbling.

"The catering should have arrived hours ago…. _Where is that blockhead?_ …why did Falcom not come to get her speech yet… _When will that idiot finally arrive?_ …. how are we going to fit all these people into the chapel… _It's so late already, where is she?!_ "

Every other line was about Neptune. And she was getting increasingly more frustrated.

Nepgear gulped.

"Miss Noire?" She slightly raised her voice.

"Neptune?!" Noire spun around. She had seen a glimpse of a purple hair, but then her alerted face went back to a strained façade of calm. "Oh it's just you Nepgear." Even if she didn't mean anything by it, that was kind of a rude greeting.

"Y-yep. Just me. Sis hasn't come yet, but I'm sure she is on the way." She tried to act as light-hearted as possible to ease the mood.

"It's just like her to make trouble at the finish line." Noire sighed and leaned against the table. "And yet that's only one of many problems we're dealing with today."

"I heard you mention a few things." Nepgear nodded.

"Never you mind this stuff though. I heard you were searching for Uni. She hasn't come to me yet. If everything had been going smoothly I wouldn't even be here still dressed in these rags." Noire pointed at her normal outfit that most people would consider pretty amazing. But compared to a wedding dress even the cutest outfit paled. "I'm sure she would be disappointed."

It was a troubling sight, this exhausted Noire. Nepgear felt something swell in her chest.

"Then please get to the changing rooms now Miss Noire." Nepgear suddenly made a determined expression.

"Huh?" She gave her a confused look.

"The bride shouldn't have to worry about all of this! Please relax and just think of the ceremony while we take care of the details." She put a hand on her chest and said so without room for objection.

"Who is 'we'?" Noire tilted her head to the side.

"Everyone." Nepgear replied seriously.

"You can't be serious. This is my responsibility-" She raised a hand to calm her down, but…

"Who decided that? This should be the happiest day of your lives, so don't bother with the logistics. Miss Noire and Sis don't need to worry about anything today." The purple haired girl was starting to get into higher gears. Soon she would be unstoppable.

Normally Noire would have put up an insurmountable wall and stopped Nepgear in her tracks. Under normal circumstances she couldn't allow herself to be pushed aside and treated like a child that needed to be spared from the complex adult world.

But on this day… Just this once…

Noire closed her eyes and finally let the tension fade from her body.

"Would you do that for me then?"

"Leave it to us!" Nepgear smiled brightly.

"Thank you." Noire smiled faintly and stretched her arms and back. On this day she just wanted to be a girl. A girl that would give her greatest vow to the one she loved.

She walked out to go change into her wedding dress, but just before she left she added one more line.

"If you see Neptune… send her straight to me." There were a myriad of different emotions and meanings in those few words. In some countries it was custom that the bride should not be seen by her significant other before the wedding ceremony, but clearly Noire didn't care about that anymore.

"Will do." Nepgear gave her word.

As Noire left, she was left with the papers on the table. A guest list, a speech, some receipts.

The catering company was indeed supposed to have arrived some time ago. The guests were probably starting to feel hungry already. What might have happened to the delivery?

* * *

About two kilometers from the estate a certain food transport was parking on the bumpy forest path. Smoke was escaping its hood. The floating vehicle was not hovering over the ground anymore, but instead stuck in the mud and leaves. The rustling and clanging from the front signaled that the wreck was being worked on intensely.

"Please Lady Uni, you s-shouldn't be d-doing this dirty work. Y-your dress will get ruined." Steamax begged her to stop, kneeling behind her.

"Who else is going to take care of this then? Hand me that wrench." Shockingly the mechanic at the front was really Uni. The CPU candidate looked stern as she handled the truck with precisely aimed hit and screws.

"I apologize…" Steamax handed the tools with a guilty expression(?).

"Why on earth are you delivering food to the wedding in the first place?" The raven haired girl asked between the clanging.

"It was the General's idea. We are investing in a v-variety of fields."

"Where did you get all that money from?"

"The General's biography sold quite well." Steamax told her with some pride.

"That tacky book about business scandals?"

"…" For some reason the robot ninja fell silent. He was unable to object.

"The whole engine is busted. What did you do with this poor child?" Uni huffed while tearing off and throwing a burned wire out of the engine space.

"I w-wasn't d-driving d-dangerously I swear!"

"Do you even have a license?"

If robots could sweat, Steamax would have turned into a waterfall.

"Shady as ever." Uni shook her head. "Where's goldie then?"

"The General has already gone ahead to prepare the buffet."

"Without the food?!"

The repairs weren't going too well. In the worst case scenario Steamax would just have to carry all of the boxes by himself. Uni was getting annoyed by this vehicle's stubbornness to die. It was a really old model that would usually spend its last rusting days on the junkyard already. It was just like Affimojas to cut costs on something important.

"You were lucky I noticed the smoke cloud from the window. This is usually a deserted forest." She said while wiping sweat on her sleeve. That motion made Steamax hold his head in cringe. He was really concerned about Uni's outfit.

"Your kindness knows no equal Lady Uni! But there is no need for you to dirty your hands. I shall carry the entire load right this instance!" He put the tools back into the box and jumped on top of the truck and then raised the tarp to get to the load below.

Where a girl was currently stuffing her face with pastries.

A very familiar looking purple haired girl.

"….!" Steamax was stunned into silence. This girl had given him many a (pleasurable) trauma before, but more importantly, she was the star of today's event! Just what was she doing on his truck?!

"Howdy shere robutt mahn!" Neptune greeted him with a peace sign. She didn't stop chewing.

"Steamax, what are you doing? Stop fooling around. You can't carry all that food." Uni was getting impatient.

She was certainly correct. If this girl sized mutant hamster wasn't stopped from stuffing her cheeks soon the entire load would disappear!

"W-w-w-what are y-y-you d-do-do-oing here Lady Neptune?!" He stuttered with a muted voice.

"Wut? I'm juz here to get mai package." She replied as if he was weird for even asking.

Nobody had ever taught her to swallow before talking? Steamax had not the strength to scold this monster. Instead he looked around for any signs of observers and then he handed Neptune a package from a secret compartment in his chest.

"D-didn't you wish to receive it in the backroom?" He confirmed.

"Yeah, but I was mega excited and I always get really hungry when I am stressed. Ya know how it works. Ice-cream when a girl is sad, creampuffs when she's mad and everything in-between when she gets married way too soon and doesn't know how to cope."

Steamax did not understand. Not the least of all because he never consumed food. He just accepted Neptune's gibberish silently.

"This is some five star grub! Thanks for the meal and the package!" Nep jumped out of the truck and stretched. She was wearing her normal hoodie dress and seemed to be out of place compared to the other people back at the mansion. "See ya at the altar busy boy~!" She said and ran off.

Steamax felt his heat processors fail. Even if the meaning was wrong, he still got promised to see a cute girl at an altar soon. Even a ninja could dream.

"S-t-e-a-m-a-x?" Uni's sweet, yet demanding voice send a shiver down his metal spine. She hadn't picked up on the exchange or seen Neptune at all from behind the hood.

"I i-i-i-insist! Let me carry your burden Lady Uni!" He striked a pose of a honorable ninja dying for their master.

"It's your burden in the first place." Uni shot him down instantly.

"Even so…!"

"I could get it running again with some better tools." Uni said seriously and rubbed her itching face, which spread some machine oil on her skin.

"Indeed. This beast has not yet roared its last." MAGES. agreed empathetically.

Uni almost hit her head against the hood, while Steamax reflexively used his ninpo to switch his body with a wooden log. Neither had any idea how the witch of science had managed to get into the car seat. But there she sat, as if she owned the truck.

"W-when did you-?" Uni looked around the corner to say the blue haired girl look down with a intrigued expression.

"I happened to cross paths with the essence of this old steed. Do not fret. Your hands can yet return it to life." She nodded encouragingly.

"I don't know how with what I have here." She looked down apologetically. To disappoint someone who looked at her with faith like that still made her inferiority complex flare up.

"Then I will lend you this." She pulled up her magic staff.

"Am I supposed to fix it with a spell…?" Uni grabbed the staff with a bemused expression. "Then you could do a better job than me."

"Some magic comes not from quantum-molecular movements and ionic energy transfers." MAGES. said while stroking the leather like covering on the wheel.

"I don't know ANY magic actually."

"This magic trick only requires a small kick." The witch said and literally kicked the staff in Uni's hands. Suddenly the tip sprung open and revealed a multitude of various tools integrated into it!

"…" Uni made a poker face while staring at it. _That changed things_.

"A mad scientist always has use for a screwdriver. And while installing it I thought why not add some other useful things?" She inspected the gas pedal intently.

"Some foresight." The raven haired girl didn't even question it and just moved back to the engine.

"She is due for a grand upgrade, no?" MAGES. had way too much fun with this old-timer.

"What do you have in mind?" Uni's interest was piqued. She wasn't a gearhead like her girlfriend, but she was still a tinkerer at heart.

"After we finish our task she shall carry us to the very stars!"

"That's about a million times too far!" But it sounded fun…

Steamax watched the girls' work spiral out of control and silently grabbed some boxes from the back. If he returned a few times he should be able to make it without pulling their attention.

* * *

"So many wonderful beauties in one place." Million Arthur marveled at the crowd while cupping her chin suavely.

"This is a holy ceremony of matrimony, so please control yourself." Cheekama floated next to Arthur and gave absolutely no quarter today. The blonde girl's daydreams would have to stay dreams.

"Don't treat me like a fool. I know that much." Arthur said cheerfully. "Once I unite Britain and become King I can get married as well. All the cute girls will beg me to marry them!"

"In case you should get married you would have to choose among someone of the same standing." Cheekama floated closer and tried to deter this line of thought.

"So a gorgeous princess, huh?" She smiled while drooling a little.

"Just what is marriage to you?" The fairy girl was at the end of her wits as usual.

"Yay food!" RED suddenly ran right past them towards a table where food just had been prepared. The buffet wasn't opened yet, but RED never really cared much for rules.

"A spirited one!" Arthur was fascinated by the carefree act.

"Yummy! Hi there." She put a snack into her mouth and then noticed Million Arthur and Cheekama close-by. "Did you want to become my wifey?"

"I apologize, but I'm not King yet. We can squishy-squish, but I'm not allowed to accept the ring." She raised her hand in denial.

"What's that matter? A cute girl can be a wifey whenever she wants." RED declared with a completely serious expression. The golden dragon statue around her waist and shoulder was staring at the crowned girl with importance.

"Ohhh! I see merit in your words!" She pumped her fist excitedly.

"Today my wifeys are wiving each other. If everyone became a wifey we could all be happy!" RED shared her thoughts on the current situation. The wedding seemed to have spurred on some mysterious idea inside her psyche.

"I cannot follow your words at all, but they ring true nonetheless!"

"How are there two of her kind now?" Cheekama facepalmed.

Unaware of the newly shaped bond between that duo (and their increasingly nefarious plans), Nepgear wandered past them. She was checking the guest list as well as looking out for someone specific.

"Are you certain we should not take this outside? We might damage the interior." Falcom asked with her sword raised in front of her.

"Nom… nom nom… Hm?" God Eater was holding her giant sword up like it was made of paper and kept noming on a donut.

"I don't mind testing our skills, but this is the music stage Miss 5pb. intends to use later." The red-head said with a wry smile.

"It's okay. I never miss a swing." The twintailed girl replied without worries.

"I like your confidence." Falcom was that kind of person after all. Someone who loved hot-blooded battles and adventure.

"I'm sorry about this Falcom! Please keep her busy!" K-sha yelled from upstairs.

"I don't really get it, but it looks like I don't have a choice anyway." She noted as the giant sword came her way. She dodged it just in time. To her surprise God Eater really stopped her blade from cutting the wooden stage.

"Stooop! Why are you fighting?" Nepgear jumped between them and held out her hands to push them apart.

"Nepgear! Good to see you." Falcom greeted her casually.

"I don't know why either. Secretary K-sha told me to spar with someone." God Eater explained and pulled out some bread to nibble on.

"K-sha?" Nepgear didn't get it. Since when was she that kind of ringmaster?

"She told me that I need to keep her busy until, 'they' are both exhausted." Falcom said while sheathing her blade.

"Nom… hm? Abbadon calm down." God Eater talked to a cute black creature on her shoulder. It was salivating quite a bit.

"Is it because of that?" Nepgear pointed at Abbadon.

"I didn't feed him today. I think he wants to eat everyone's clothes." She explained between bites.

"Ehh?!" Nepgear jerked back.

"I see. There are some fine clothes on display today." Falcom nodded understandingly.

"W-we can't allow that!"

"I can't stop Abbadon once he gets like this. But during fights he gets distracted." God Eater raised her sword again.

"Then let me keep you busy." Falcom unsheathed her sword again.

"This is bad… but I need to talk to you Falcom." Gear was unsure what to do.

"Did my ears hear correctly? This creature devours clothing?" Suddenly Million Arthur and RED walked in on their fight.

"He eats pretty much anything. But he likes underwear the best." God Eater nodded.

"Fascinating! I will face you in combat if you don't mind. Should I best your CALIBER we will discuss this creature in detail. Are we in agreement?" Arthur was fired up! She drew her ornate sword with fighting spirit.

"I don't mind. The chief always says we need to learn from foreigners." The sparsely clad soldier girl agreed way too easily.

"I am glad there are so many talented fighters around." Falcom said amusedly.

"This is a wedding though?" Nepgear was frankly unable to follow this event.

"Now, what did you want to talk about Nepgear?" Falcom moved aside and they sat down at a table.

"Uhm… it's about this speech. Miss Noire prepared it for you I think." The purple haired girl pulled out the note she had put into her dress pocket. She had sneaked a small peek at it. It was very lengthy and formal.

"Ahaha I remember Noire told me something about that." She laughed.

So she didn't think it was important?

"What is the speech for?" Nepgear asked curiously and leaned forward to hand it to her.

"I think it's the wedding speech. I'm the priest after all." Falcom took the note casually.

"Goodness!" Nepgear faceplanted on the table in shock. "Y-you are the priest?!" Also didn't she mean priestess?

"On one of my travels the old man from the church of the eternal flame taught me some stuff. I am officially qualified for the job of priest. Never wed anyone until now though." She grinned like it was a fun challenge.

"Your repertoire of jobs is amazing." Nepgear had no other words for that.

"You pick up some things when you do quests across the world." Falcom downplayed it and read the note. "Wow this is very… formal." She said exactly what Nepgear had thought as well.

"Miss Noire probably wants it to be as grandiose as possible." She surmised.

"Absolutely. But it's a bit…" She scratched her head. "You know, usually a priest weds two people under the grace of some deity. The point is to bless their relationship forever in the name of that religion." Surprisingly sobering words from her. "But that isn't the case here. Neptune and Noire are the goddesses of this world."

"I never thought of that…" Nepgear saw where she was coming from.

"Which means no matter what words I speak, they are blessed already! If those two get married then they have already a blessed relationship, whatever I say, they are bound to end up happy together." Falcom smiled widely and gave her a thumbs up.

"!" Nepgear looked up to her while holding her heart. Those words… they really touched her. She even felt her eyes get a bit moist. "Yes!" She wanted to believe that with all her heart as well. Falcom had a natural talent for speeches. She didn't need a script or a god to give her words power. Her feelings were enough. They couldn't have gotten a better 'priest'.

"If I kept rambling on that would just keep them from sealing the deal. A friend told me that I am a bit dense. I don't want to ruin the mood, so I will keep it short." She slightly stretched out her tongue.

"Thank you so much." As the bride's sister she just wanted to express her gratitude.

"Alright. Let me check up on that duel for now. I am interested in that gunsword user." She winked. The red-head rose from her chair and left the note on the table.

Nepgear picked it up and folded it neatly. These were Noire's complex thoughts put into words. They deserved to be preserved at least.

There was still more on her list. She would make sure that the wedding proceeded without problems! This would be a happy day for everyone!

 _(To be continued in: The final episode)_


	27. Final Episode: Best Spouses Forever! (2)

**Final Episode: Best Spouses Forever!? (Part 2)**

After leaving the truck behind Neptune had strolled through the forest and taken in the wonders of nature. At least that's what she told herself as she took the third detour in a row. No matter where her eyes wandered, her feet were bound towards the mansion. She would reach it unavoidably.

Raising her hand to swipe aside a low hanging branch she stopped in her tracks when she finally laid eyes upon the place where she would get married soon. The old chapel was a separate detached building not far from the mansion. It was build with marble and limestone and resembled a pavilion more than anything.

Soon…

She averted her face and looked towards the mansion instead. She spied an odd group right there.

"You are very skilled! And that outfit is extraordinary as well." Arthur smiled brightly as she held her sword towards God Eater's chest. The Lastation special forces member was lying on her butt.

"You're pretty strong yourself…" God Eater replied while rubbing her belly.

"The match has been decided." Falcom raised her hand and then pointed at Arthur to declare the victor. "I'm glad we didn't fight on the stage after all." She added with furrowed brows while looking at the trees around them full of bullet holes and gashes. God Eater might have slightly exaggerated when she said that she 'never missed'. That oversized god weapon didn't seem all that accurate.

"Now, let's talk about this companion of yours." Arthur looked at Abbadon with intrigue.

"Having a little fun before the true battle gals?" Neptune swooshed in like a hurricane and acted as cheerful as could be.

"Neptune! Perfect timing." Arthur spun around and grabbed the purple haired girl's shoulders. "Could you return my crown to me now?"

"Ehhh? But I won it fair and square! I'm not just sharing my loot with anybody!" Nep was unhappy. Maybe her resistance was connected to the fact that she had lost the crown during her fight with Noire…

"It is an indispensable item to my conquest." Arthur said with unusual gravity. "Without it I will not be able to create new knight cards."

"Don't you have a spare or somethin'?" Neptune whistled and averted her face.

"Impossible. Each Arthur is given only a single artifact." The blonde replied sternly. "I borrowed it to you because you showed me that interesting tome about your culture, but I need it back now."

"What exactly is that 'tome' that you so carelessly gave your precious artifact away for?" Cheekama asked with glazed over eyes. She already had an inkling.

"I getcha, it's important, but I don't have it…. With me." Nep squeezed out of her iron hand grip.

"Curses." Arthur balled her fist in regret.

"Our plan just went poof." RED said with crossed arms and a pout.

"It's bad when I actually feel glad that we lost our system interface…" Cheekama glided along dejectedly.

"A special crown? Might this be the one?" Falcom suddenly pulled a sparkling item from her jacket and held it up in the sunlight. Its reflection was almost blinding.

"This is it! How did you obtain it?!" Arthur was overjoyed.

"I dug it out of a hole during a gathering quest." The red-head explained casually and handed the crown back to its owner.

"Fate is on our side today!" Arthur did not even question why it had been stuck in some random muddy hole and just put it back on. "Now to extract some essence and make a new card type~"

While she was distracted Neptune had snuck away successfully. It was better to get away before the future king started to question the details after all.

While tiptoeing across the grass in her big white boots she spotted a half-open window. Chance!

Akin to an action hero she jumped through the small opening and rolled safely into the stuffy room. Her hands found hold on some rags and shelves and she landed in a kneeling pose. Infiltration successful!

"…" Noire stared at her perplexed from next to a big mirror. She was currently in the middle of pulling up some dark blue stockings below her long wedding dress.

"Neppu?!" Neptune's heart jumped in surprise. This was beyond fate, this must have been a scripted meeting! No other explanation would suffice.

"N-Neptune? What are you doing-?" Noire caught herself and hastily pulled up the stocking and let down her dress. "Where have you been?" She asked accusingly.

"Uh…" Neptune couldn't respond immediately. Not because she was out of excuses, there was a long list somewhere in the folds of her mind entirely devoted to those. It was because she was in a stupor. She gazed upon this incredibly beautiful Noire and her heart kept hammering in a rhythm that resembled a drum solo.

 _Ba-dum, ba-bum, ba-dump, ba-ba-ba-DUM_.

She had seen Noire in so many outfits already, in so many compromising poses, with countless emotions and expressions. But they all paled in comparison.

Her soon-to-be-wife was too blinding. Her dress was wild and stylish, but her hair was down and straight. No makeup in the world would have been able to improve those red lips, that alabaster skin and the soft contours of her cheeks.

Neptune wasn't a poet and she didn't really mind details so much, but right now she could have thrown out a limerick praising that perfect girl in front of her without a moment's hesitation.

She gulped.

"Don't just stare with your mouth open like that… it's embarrassing." Noire said with red tinged cheeks and crossed her arms.

"My bad." Neptune rubbed the back of her head and laughed. "You went all out on that thing, huh? Could knock the breath out of anyone who trips into your attack radius. I'm weak to magic damage and here you're trying to bewitch me."

Noire tilted her head and looked at her fiancé like she would at a dog that chased its own tail. A mix of amusement and pity.

"I wanted it to be better than anything I made before." She said with a bit of pride and hope. "But it's not like I put more effort into yours or anything! So don't expect too much!"

"I'm gonna be the prettiest partner you could ever have with that, I can tell just by looking." Nep looked at the other wedding dress that was put on a mannequin next to Noire. Lastation's greatest cosplay genius (who also happened to be its CPU) had topped herself in every regard. Only that this time it wouldn't be cosplay. This was the real deal.

For some reason there was a hint of disconnect in the small girl's voice and thoughts.

Noire picked up on that light tonal shift and walked forward. She hesitated for a second, but then she pulled Neptune down on a couch in the corner and held her hand.

"Why are you late?" She asked again, but this time her red eyes were softer.

"Ahaha didn't ya know? The protagonist always arrives late." She said without her usual cheer.

"Even to her own wedding? How awful." Noire looked purposely disappointed.

"…" Nep bit her lip.

"You made me worry." She said with an almost cute pout. "I told myself it's impossible, but the thoughts wouldn't leave…" What thoughts she didn't say, but it was rather obvious. If she had spelt it out Neptune might have felt her heart be crushed.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"An apology won't change anything." Noire exhaled and put a hand on Neptune's. Their fingers intertwined naturally. "What is bothering you? There is nothing you can't tell me. T-to your _wife_ …" She gulped. The word sounded almost alien right now. The excitement and nervousness were creating a cocktail of emotions inside the raven haired goddess.

"Nowa…" Neptune held on to her hand more strongly. "I love you." She said.

Noire stiffened up and turned bright red.

"W-why all of a sudden-?" No matter how many times she heard those words they would always be a direct hit. But more importantly they were really unexpected in this mood!

"You love me too, right?" Those unyielding purple eyes were clouded over somehow.

Noire turned to face her again and then slowly nodded. Opening her mouth might have been a bad idea, because she wanted to squeal.

"Can we love each other more and more?" Nep's line of questioning was getting more soft.

Noire started shivering.

"W-where are you going with this?" She might soon become a human heater, so she tried to calm down by forcing the issue.

"Please!" She wasn't deterred.

"…of course!" Noire exclaimed bashfully.

"I'm scared." Neptune suddenly revealed. She put both hands around Noire's shaking one. "It's pretty stupid, but I feel like we are going to hit the ceiling soon."

"The ceiling…" Noire caught her breath. This wasn't the time to get excited by herself. Neptune was honestly in a slump.

"We confessed, we dated, we even got those fancy rings…" The mentioned engagement rings were sparkling in the dim light coming from the window. "But if we tie the knot now, aren't we at the end of the line?"

Noire suddenly understood everything. This hadn't even crossed her mind. How could it? It was something far beyond her way of thinking. Because…

"I'm like, too content, right? If we became any happier we might lose it." Nep chuckled weakly. "Tell me we can level up beyond this." She begged.

"Neptune… you are wrong." Noire said quietly and then embraced her with everything she had, yet still tenderly. "I don't care about any of that." She realized that she truly meant those words. "I want to be your wife, because I l-love you too. Not to get to the next level of our relationship. Two years ago I couldn't even have dreamt of this." She felt Neptune's slender frame pressed against her chest. "Even if we just stayed the way we are I would still be happier than in my entire life."

"Hehe… Nowa is cheering me up. I turned into a pushover in just two years."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Noire acted indignant, but didn't let go of her.

"I want to show off; I want to go all out with you. But I'm scared that I'll trip down the line."

"Then I will pick you up and carry you." Noire replied in a supporting voice. "Isn't that a wife's job?"

"!" Neptune started shaking in Noire's arms. At first Lastation's CPU thought that the small girl had started crying…

But that wasn't the case.

"Eeeek!?" Noire jumped and let out a cute voice as she felt Neptune's lips pressed against her exposed neck. "H-hey Neptune, stop that!"

"Nowa…!" Neptune kept kissing her neck forcefully.

"Y-y-you can't! It will leave a mark!" Noire felt a rush of excitement coming from the places that Neptune's lips touched.

"Nobody's gonna be bothered – _smooch_ \- by a few hickeys – _smack_." The purple haired kissing machine did not comply with her.

"Mmh…." Noire's resistance was waning as she was pushed over. She was pinned down far too easily, and her dress spread out over the couch. Their eyes met. Their gazes were wistful.

"Can I…?" Neptune whispered.

Noire had lost her strength. She was looking up with moist eyes. Maybe she could just…

A small package slipped out of Neptune's pocket and fell to the floor. The small 'thump' finally snapped Noire out of her trance.

"We have to stop." She said determinedly and put up her arms with recovered strength.

"Aww, it was just getting good." Neptune flopped over the couch and frowned.

"Save it for tonight." Noire said with her bangs covering her face.

Neptune's eyes widened and the word 'wedding-night' and 'consummation' flared up in the recesses of her psyche. It certainly turned her complaints quiet fast.

To distract herself from those burning emotions, Noire picked up the brown package.

"You dropped something." She mumbled.

"Shucks, that was supposed to be a surprise." Nep made a 'busted' pose and shrugged.

"Don't act confusing or anything." She handed the package over with squinted eyes.

"You can have it." Neptune replied with a smile.

"Eh? It's for me?" She asked surprised.

"Actually I wanted to give it to Nep Jr. first, but when she didn't want them I reconsidered- _Of course they're for you_!" Nep laughed and pushed the package into Noire's arms.

"Am I supposed to open it now or later?" She held the rectangular package with some reservation.

"I'll leave that up to you." Nep replied lazily.

"Then I will keep it for later." Noire said calmly.

"But aren't you curious at all?" She suddenly changed her tune and leaned forward impatiently.

"If you want me to unpack it, just say so." Noire said teasingly. So this was what it felt like to tickle an honest reply out of someone.

"Neppers… fine, I want you to open it right away!" Neptune raised her hands in defeat.

Noire hummed in victory as she carefully opened the package at the corners and then pulled out the box inside. It was rectangular, black and expensive looking.

"You really shouldn't have." Noire said with a wry smile. She didn't know what it was yet, but there was no need for a big present.

"A wedding's like ten times more serious than a birthday! Not that I ever had a birthday party before." Neptune shrugged.

"Are these…" She opened the box at the front where a magnet held it closed. The lid flipped open and revealed two beautiful blue earrings! "They are so pretty." She could not help but gasp.

"Not as pretty as you." Nep said smoothly.

"Jeez… this really wasn't necessary." Noire smiled sheepishly. "Where did you get these?"

"Ah, I asked some old pals to use their contacts for me. They got a famous alchemist or something to make the crystals."

"They must have been expensive." Noire said with a guilty expression.

"Nah, for some reason they gave it to me for free! Said they owed us a lot."

"I still have to repay you somehow." Noire said seriously.

"I could think of a few ways girlfriend~" Neptune said mischievously and leaned forward with pursed lips.

But then Noire stood up and walked behind the mirror. Neptune watched her with a question mark over her head. Noire returned and handed her a similar brown package as well.

"I didn't know when to give it to you… There was just no good opportunity…" She whipped from side to side on her heels and then stretched out her arms to hand her the present.

"Woah, you had a trump card this entire time?" Neptune joked and readily took the package and opened it up. There was a black box inside. "Well I'll be nepped." Neptune whistled.

"Great minds think alike." Noire said with a smirk.

Neptune pulled out the earrings and let them dangle in the light. They were a beautiful shining ruby red.

"You think they will make me look classy?"

"We can at least try." Noire closed one eye.

"I've got a great Neptune patented idea!" She grabbed one of Noire's sapphire earrings and handed her one of the ruby ones. "Sharing is caring!"

"That's a pretty good idea, coming from you." Noire giggled and held up the two colored set.

"My ideas are always good. The world just sometimes changes around me to make them fail." She held up hers as well. "You think we might fuse if we put them on at the same time?"

"These aren't p*taras!"

"You said it, not me!" Neptune giggled and attached the rings to her ears. With a little delay Noire did the same.

Standing in front of each other with the mirror at their back, the sets complemented each other all the more.

"Now put on your dress and you will look like a real goddess." Noire said while pushing her hand through her open hair. It wasn't quite the same as her usual pigtail flick.

"Are you going to watch a lady undress? How crude." Neptune said in her best Vert impression.

"D-don't be stupid." Noire stuttered and turned away.

"C'mon, you've seen me naked so many times and you're still blushing?" Nep grinned widely. "That's why you're the cutest."

"Just put on your dress or we are going to miss our own wedding." She crossed her arms and sighed.

"I do as the fair lady commands~" Neptune saluted casually and grabbed the soft dress.

The worries from just a few minutes ago had evaporated like the steam coming off an overheating Noire.

* * *

Meanwhile in the main hall.

Nepgear made another check on the list. Since Steamax had brought the food in, things had been going pretty smoothly. Almost all guests had arrived now. Neptune had been sighted outside, but nobody knew where she had run off to. All she could do was trust that her sister knew what she was doing.

She reached the bottom of the list.

[Wedding gifts gathered in the first floor.]

She hadn't been aware that they had to gather the gifts in one place, but it was true that she hadn't seen any of them until now. This was at least worth checking once. With her destination clear she moved to the staircase. On her way there she could hear muffled voices from the changing rooms.

"…gonna wear this… blondie…!" The first voice was heated and loud.

"…difficult… promise." The other seemed to be more composed.

Nepgear put a finger to her chin and stopped to listen. Who went into this room to change again?

 _BANG!_

A loud crashing noise made her jerk back in surprise. It sounded almost like something huge had collapsed. Concerned for the people inside Nepgear threw open the door and hurried into the room. What she saw there was not a destroyed room, but something else in shambles.

Blanc's pride that is.

"Nepgear, dear?" Vert faced her with mild curiosity. She was currently holding Blanc down with both arms on her back and tying braids into her hair.

"Get offa me!" Blanc growled into a pillow and still furiously resisted. Next to her was a fallen over dresser. This was the origin of the loud bang.

"Quiet you. I am almost finished. If you act up any more I might hurt your hair roots." Vert was casually taming the wild Blanc. Then she faced Nepgear again. "Is everything proceeding in expected terms?" Her straight smile belied her unusual situation.

"Y-yes we are going to begin the ceremony in half an hour." Nepgear replied automatically. "What are you doing big sis?" She had no choice but to ask now that she had barged in. It was just too crazy to ignore.

"Dammit someone saw….!" Blanc seemed ashamed.

"How do you like her? She looks quite passable, don't you think?" Vert let go of the last finished braid and finally moved her legs off the smaller CPU. She sat herself straight in a ladylike manner on top of the sofa while crossing her legs. Her dress was made of light green and white fabric that had an almost magical flow to it. It left her shoulders and half of her cleavage free to the air, but still had a sense of class. Her blonde hair was tied into braids at the sides that were hanging over her shoulders and back.

Rubbing her back and hurting neck, Blanc rose from the sofa's folds as well. To Nepgear's surprise she was wearing… an almost identical outfit to Vert's! And the braids in her hair (while naturally much shorter) were also tied at the same spots as Leanbox' CPU's. Instead of her hat she was wearing a elegant white ribbon on her left bang. The exact opposite side of Vert's black one.

"It suits you… I mean both of you." Nepgear replied honestly to Vert's inquiry.

"You don't need to boost blondie's ego." Blanc rubbed her nose that was still a little red from being forcefully pressed against the pillow.

"Nepgear is an honest girl, unlike a certain someone." Vert nodded reassuringly. "Now there shan't be any more complaints about our partner look from you."

"I still got lots of complaints actually." Blanc grumbled. She was clearly not happy with this turn of events. Even though she looked absolutely stunning in this outfit as far as Nepgear was concerned. They made an incredibly cute pair.

"You may tell me all about it when we are at home. Now let us mingle with the guests!" Vert rose up in a good mood and held out her hand towards her partner.

Blanc was looking down in defiance at first, but after a few seconds of the hand unmoving in front of her, she finally stretched out her own and grabbed it. Vert smiled.

The duo walked out the room alongside Nepgear who was still just staring curiously. She had never seen them interact like this. To be honest, they were kind of a mystery couple. Around outsiders they acted almost like they did before they announced their relationship last year. It had come as quite a shock to everyone that they apparently had started dating around the time of the Share Drain crisis.

'Opposites attract' was a common saying, but to see it so strongly represented in real life was still something else.

And yet, wasn't that the same people had said about the girls that were getting married today?

"Will you accompany us my little Nepgear?" Vert asked hopefully and extended an arm for her as well.

"Ah… uhm… I still have to finish the checklist." Nepgear excused herself hastily. Once Vert had a hold of her she wouldn't let go so easily. Also Blanc had glared towards them for just the fracture of a second before returning to her neutral face.

"Do not overwork yourself. The festivities are supposed to make everyone relax and enjoy themselves." The blonde goddess embraced Nepgear and pushed her face into her chest as expected. It was a feeling to become lost in if she was honest.

But she had to resist the softness!

After being let go in slight regret, Nepgear walked up the stairs. The first floor was mostly empty. She and Uni had changed up here, but there were mostly just old empty rooms and storages to be found.

Only one door was opened at the end of the right hallway. She could hear people talk inside, so it was her natural next stop. Her suspicion was proven correct when she walked into a discussion between the five Oracles of the five nations (+ secretary K-sha.) Who was the fifth Oracle? Umio of course. Officially appointed by Uzume.

"Nepgear you look wonderful." Histoire greeted her with a compliment. She had left early comparatively, so they hadn't met this morning. The tiny girl was looking her normal self and floated on her tome right on eye-level with Kei and K-sha.

"Thank you very much! Is this the gift room?" Nepgear greeted everyone present and looked around. There were a few colorful packages on the tables behind the Oracles (+K-sha) so the question was just a formality.

"As per Noire's wishes we have received all gifts at the entrance from the arriving guests. Whoever had something to give handed it over without complications." Kei explained coolly with one hand at her back. She was wearing a tuxedo today, which was strangely not out of place. Her ponytail was elegantly hanging over her shoulder.

"You are taking over the logistics for her then? Very reliable." Mina was positively impressed. She had decided to wear a more ceremonial robe today. It made her look like a priestess, more than the actual priest of this wedding in fact.

"I'm so glad Noire can finally relax a little." K-sha sighed. She was the one who looked stressed out actually! She was wearing her secretary uniform like it was a gala outfit somehow. To her this outfit was more precious than an expensive dress could ever be. "But I'm happy. All these presents are proof of how popular she is!" She exclaimed and clapped her hands with a girly squeal.

There were really quite a few. By the looks of it almost every single guest had brought at least one. Some were the size of furniture even.

"Is Uzume acting like a good host?" Umio suddenly floated next to Nepgear and whispered those words into her ear. He probably didn't want the others to be worried.

"She is doing great! Last I saw she was entertaining Peashy and Plutia." Those three surprisingly had befriended each other in an instant. Or was it really surprising? Uzume's natural affinity with kids was well known and Plutia was a friend magnet as well.

"That is good to hear. She has been very excited for this day, but she also has a hard time with formal events." The flying fish knew his CPU too well.

"I don't think anyone is really being formal today." Nepgear assured him. This was a gathering of friends.

"Are we done guarding the treasures now? I want to see my darling Vert in her new outfit." Chika was getting impatient and close to throwing a tantrum. Her dress was vogue, there was really no other way to put it. She certainly knew how to dress for festivities and galas alike. Only her personality was unfit for that appearance. "I wanted us to come in partner look, but she said that wasn't necessary! Then she told me to look my absolute best and you know I can't say no to her-" She was rambling on to Mina, who was a saint for listening intently.

"What are we going to do with the presents after the ceremony?" Nepgear asked as she crossed out the last point on her list.

"There will be a party as you are aware. We intend to move them downstairs during the 5pb. performance and then the newlyweds can open them whenever they want." Kei said while looking at Chika and Mina with a wry smile.

"Goodness, that will take at least an hour." She held a hand in front of her mouth. Getting through this mountain was bound to completely halt the party.

"It will all work out." Histoire said and adjusted some of the small presents to make a neat tower.

"I hope Noire will like my present. Will she be able to tell it's from me?" K-sha was still obsessed with Noire. After graduating she had made good on her job card and applied as Noire's secretary. She passed with flying colors and was doing a respectable job according to Kei. In fact she had long since taken most of the Oracle's main tasks under her fingers. Which was helpful as Kei had also started to expand her fields towards the open market. She was rarely at the Basilicom these days.

"Is it the one covered in Black Heart wrappings?" Histy asked with a premonition. This was the one time Histy did not have to use her database for 3 hours or days to find the truth.

" _You knew_? Oracles really are amazing." K-sha was wide-eyed.

* * *

"Uni! What happened to you?!" Nepgear exclaimed with white eyes when she saw her girlfriend come through the main entrance. The reason for her shock was clearly visible on the Lastation sister's face.

"We fixed the food truck. It's all better now." Uni replied with her chest pushed out in pride. Her face was covered in oil stains. If her dress was covered as well it was hard to tell, due to its dark color.

"The food truck? But Mr. Steamax already brought the food inside?" Nepgear was confused.

"What?!" Uni hadn't realized it until now. "When did he sneak off with it…?" Now that she thought back on it, they had been so focused on repairing and enhancing the truck that the world around them became a blur. He might very well have done something in those corners of their perception.

"Gosh, you are all dirty now. The wedding begins in five minutes." Nepgear looked at her with worry and pulled out a handkerchief.

"I-I can clean myself Nepgear…!" Uni protested as her face was wiped gently all over.

"Just hold still." Nepgear wasn't deterred and did her best. But oil was persistent. It didn't just come off from a little wiping. "I can't get it all off."

"I'm sorry… I didn't think it through." Uni admitted her mistake with a dejected head.

"No problem! I have something perfect for stains!" She pulled a spray from inside her dress and released its contents on the handkerchief.

"W-wait, why do you carry that with you even now-?" Uni was taken aback, but the next moment her face was covered by the cloth. "Eeeek!"

"It might tickle a bit~"

"Ahn… kyaa! S-stop it…!" Uni squirmed while Nepgear cleaned her up like a mother would her child. It was adorable how she shrieked every time the cool liquid touched her face.

"Ehehe you're so cute Uni~"

"Nooo…" Uni felt her pride get erased alongside the oil. The only shimmer of hope was that they were alone right now.

"Am I interrupting something?" IF asked them with barely hidden amusement.

"Not at all." Nepgear said and put the finishing touches on her girlfriends cleaned face.

"W-what are you doing here? Isn't everyone at the chapel already?" Uni pointed at IF.

"I was supposed to get the stragglers." IF said with a shrug. Two of these slowpokes were standing right in front of her. "You both look fine. Just get to your seat now." She pushed them outside by the shoulders.

"Do we sit next to you and Compa?" Nepgear asked, filled with excitement for the event.

"Yeah that was the idea-" Suddenly the guild member froze up. The girls walked ahead for a moment before realizing it.

"Is something wrong?"

"Compa… I forgot about Compa!" IF shouted in terror.

""Eh?"" The CPU candidates stared at her blankly.

"She is still waiting for Nep at the outer entrance!" IF said with a sweat covered face and started sprinting into that same direction.

"Didn't your sister arrive yet?"

"Sis was seen by a few people. I think she should be waiting with Miss Noire."

"…"

"Uni?" She noticed that the raven haired girl had fallen quiet.

"Hm?"

"Is something on your mind?"

"Just… I guess she isn't just 'your sister' anymore soon." Uni said with a confused smile.

Nepgear tilted her head, but then she smiled back.

"Yes. We are all going to be family." Those words felt somehow warm. To underline the point she grasped Uni's hand as they walked towards the next step in their lives.

* * *

Inside the open chapel the crowd had settled down and taken their seats. People from all nations, dimensions and walks of life were gathered here, looking their best. All waiting for the brides to arrive.

Waiting in the front, behind a stone altar was the 'priest'. Falcom was one of the only people not wearing anything fancy. It was just like her to take on any role and job the way she was.

Suddenly a tune reverberated from the speakers that had been placed around. A wonderful melody echoed across the chapel. The one playing it on a keyboard was none other than the idol 5pb.!

Coming in carried by the music, by the eyes of everyone and by the festive atmosphere were the two brides.

Neptune was wearing a pure white dress with a beautiful symbol on her chest vaguely resembling an 'N', but also the sun. A dark purple flower in her hair was accentuating it perfectly. Holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands that were covered in long white gloves, she stepped in with an air of both happiness and fun. It was easy to tell that she felt comfortable in this outfit and her occasional hand waves towards her friends were playful.

Next to her walked Noire, the other bride. Her dress was not as pure and smooth as Neptune's, instead covered in frills and complexly weaved ribbons. Although both had been made by Lastation's CPU, each felt completely different. She had focused on bringing out their personalities above all else. Her open hair was combed straight, but it gave her an unusual feel of freedom. Nothing of the usual stern seriousness was inside her face. In her hands she held a mysterious small golden case.

As they finally reach the front of the chapel and took positions in front of Falcom things got tense.

"We have gathered here today to wed these two, Neptune and Noire, dear friends, comrades and colleagues to us all." Falcom declared with raised hands. "There will be official public wedding next week where we get all the sermons in the world, so let's not get hung up on the usual phrases." She suddenly added with a grin.

Noire almost lost her footing and glared at the red-head like she has been personally betrayed. This wasn't the speech she had prepared!

"This is the real wedding for just us, so as we are among friends we don't need to pretend anything. The speeches can wait for Purple Heart and Black Heart." Falcom leaned on the altar and smiled. "I've known both of you for a long time and I am glad to see you give your eternal vows to each other. There is no pair of brides I would rather wed on my first official job as a priest." She chuckled.

Neptune clearly was amused, while Noire just gave up and accepted whatever was coming next.

"Let's leave nations and politics behind for today. Just two lovers sharing the rest of their lives." Falcom cleared her throat. "Neptune, in front of all these witnesses, will you vow to always stay with Noire, love her through thick and thin, health and sickness, happy and sad times, until death do you part?"

Neptune closed her eyes for a moment and took in those words with a pounding heart.

"Like you even have to ask! I'll stay with her even beyond that if I can!" She declared with a bright smile.

Noire lost her breath.

"Splendid! And you Noire? Will you love Neptune through thick and thin, sickness and health, happy and sad times, till death do you part?" She turned towards Noire expectantly.

"I…" Noire hesitated. Not for a lack of determination or because of uncertainty. Her voice simply broke as she felt choked up. Standing here in front of Neptune, both of them wearing these beautiful dresses and vowing to love each other forever… Even in her brightest daydreams this would have been unattainable. Her heart had never experienced this much joy. Tears wanted to spill from her eyes, but she forced them back. She looked upon Neptune's trusting eyes… And found strength in them. "I will." She replied firmly.

"Then please exchange the rings now." Falcom said solemnly.

Noire opened the lid of the case in her hand. Inside were not rings though.

Neptune tenderly took her small crystal into her gloved fingers.

Noire did the same with hers.

"Pieces of Sharicite." Histoire whispered loud enough for most people to overhear.

For the CPUs present this much had been obvious all along. The feelings emanating from those small pieces of sparkling crystal was too familiar. These were shards of Sharicite from the nation's crystals.

"I give my everything to you." Noire said quietly and pushed the Lastation crystal into Neptune's engagement ring. The piece fused with the metal seamlessly.

"That goes double for me." Neptune replied happily and pushed the Planeptune crystal into Noire's ring.

This was more than simple symbolism. The nation's Sharicites were _part_ of their CPUs. They were born from Shares, fueled by Shares, made whole by Shares and faded alongside them. There was nothing more personal, nothing more important to a CPU. To take part of each other's very being and existence, that is what this exchange was.

The gravity of such an action was only comprehensible by those in the audience with the same fate.

Blanc and Vert watched them with serious eyes. This was not an action to be taken lightly.

The CPU candidates watched with awe.

The Oracles stayed professionally neutral, except for Histoire who was sniffing.

Neptune and Noire held up their rings that were sparkling in rainbow colors when reflecting the light of the sun at its zenith. Their ears were also sparkling with the ruby and sapphire earrings.

Today they had given each other proof of that shared life and love.

Falcom smiled warmly.

"You may now kiss the bride." She said to both of them equally.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Neptune said excitedly and pulled the teary eyed Noire closer.

Their lips met softly as a warm and faint kiss united them in body, as they were already one in soul.

Slowly the audience began clapping, but eventually it became a storm of applause! The crowd got up and gave them standing ovations.

After five minutes the kiss finally parted and both of the lightheaded brides had to hold on to each other to not fall over.

"I hereby declare you wife and wife! May you have a long and fulfilled married life!" Falcom started clapping as well and gave them her blessings. It was unnecessary as they were goddesses already. They would create their own blessed future.

* * *

"Congrats Nep! Lady Noire!" IF congratulated the couple.

"Nep-Nep I'm soooo glad for you! I always wanted to see you as a bride!" Compa said with raised arms and a cheery smile.

"Thanks a bunch gals, I can barely believe it myself." Neptune giggled like a child in a candy store. Noire still looked dazed and didn't let go of Neptune's free hand.

"SIS! I'm shwo hwappppyyy!" Nepgear came rushing towards her sister, lost in tears and sobbing into her shoulder.

"Woah, why are you the one crying Nep Jr.!? That's Nowa's job."

"I…I'm not crying at all." Noire said while hastily wiping off her tears of happiness.

"Sure sure, you big ol' tsundere." Nep grinned.

"Mish No-waaa!" Nepgear kept sniffling and hugged Noire as well.

"Y-you can c-call me big sister… i-if you want." Noire gulped and patted Nepgear's back. It was harder to hold back the tears when someone else was displaying hers so freely.

"Big sis!" Nepgear said happily.

"I'm here!" Vert sprung up at her call.

"Oi, she didn't call _you._ " Blanc pulled Vert back by her blonde braids.

"Congrats big sis." Uni hugged Noire after she was finally released from Nepgear's wet grapple.

"Thank you Uni." Their embrace was warmer than usual and not at all awkward for once.

"Congratulations from me as well." Vert returned from Blanc's tight and painful leash. "Your determination was inspiring." She glanced at the engagement rings that worked as wedding rings now. The Sharicite pieces inside had become unnoticeable. They had perfectly fused with the rings.

"Good job I guess." Blanc also gave them a serious nod.

"Miss Nepgear is crying… Is marriage sad?" Rom titled her head.

"No… she is just happy." Uni corrected her with a wry smile.

"So you are now mommies right?" Ram pointed up her index finger like she was totally in on the complex mechanisms of the adult world.

"E-eh? M-m-m-others? C-c-children with N-Neptune?" Noire was overheating. That plane was headed for a crash!

"My, that is not entirely wrong little Ram. Many married couples have children. But it is not a prerequisite."

"What? But all the kids in town have married parents." She insisted.

"I don't think that's gonna happen too soon for us." Neptune said with a wink. Noire was currently in the middle of a minor breakdown in the background.

"G-get a grip Nepgear!" Uni tried to calm down the tears of joy that were streaming from her girlfriend's eyes. She was leaning against her shoulder and Uni was slowly stroking her head.

One by one all their friends came congratulating them more or less profusely.

"Neptunaaaa!" Peashy came (literally) crashing into Neptune head first and almost threw her off her feet. "You are a wafer now?! Is that fun?"

"Like super duper mega fun!" Neptune replied while catching her breath and holding her destroyed spleen.

"I wanna get merried with Neptuna too!" The small girl declared with a bright grin.

"I don't think that Nowa would agree… let alone the police." Neptune snorted.

"Ehhh? Is merrying bad?" An exclamation mark appeared above Peashy's head. "Will you get beat up and die?!"

"They do say marriage is an early grave…" Ultra Blanc muttered with a grin.

"Exactly." Standard Blanc stood next to her and agreed.

"Congrats I suppose." Ultra Noire talked to her counterpart behind the crowd surrounding Nep. "It felt very weird to see myself marry Neptune of all people I have to admit." She added with a jaded expression.

"Thanks, I guess?" It was hard to take that straight. Noire had to admit as well that she couldn't imagine seeing herself marry someone else in front of her. It must have been a weird 3rd person experience.

"Open hair looks good on us as well." She commented with her chin cupped by fingers.

"Naturally." They obviously agreed on that much. "How is it going with… you know?" This was the first time in a while that the two of them had met, so she felt it appropriate to ask.

"…" Ultra Noire grimaced. "Thanks to you everything has become weird." She held her head as if she received a migraine just thinking about it.

"Noiiire ~ Neppy says she wants to hear you congraaaatulating her too~" Plutia called her over.

"Is she seriously going to demand that?! What a shameless bride!" Ultra Noire reacted shocked.

"Neptune is just playing around."

"I know. Just what do you see in her?" Now she shrugged sarcastically.

"Plutia is a lot more like her than I had thought at first as well." Noire suddenly said thoughtfully. "How does Blanc fit in there I wonder?"

Ultra Noire blushed and held her face painfully.

"It's your entire fault." She repeated.

"You could have just rejected her." Noire said with a raised brow and smirk.

"…you don't get it at all." Ultra Noire sighed. "As long as I can be at Plutia's side…. I don't really mind if there is someone else as well…" She whispered.

"That sounds a little dishonest." Noire closed one eye and gave her a knowing look.

"Aaaargh, I will give Neptune what she wants! She better be grateful!" The Ultra version stomped off embarrassedly.

Was this really what Noire looked like when she was losing her composure? As always, it was bizarre to see herself do it.

"Noirsy, Nepsy! Just married and in L-O-V-E!" Splitting the crowd with her presence alone was Orange Heart! She came flying and embraced both brides at once. "You are like totally the cutest! Uzume wants to get married too~!"

Uzume had transformed just before the wedding. Apparently she thought that this was an event where she should be more open with her romantic side. During the entire ceremony she been silently cheering them on and been biting her handkerchief in excitement.

"You can't have Nowa!" Neptune said jokingly. Although she was serious as well.

* * *

After everyone had gotten their chance to give them their blessing the next event of a wedding begun. The atmosphere changed dramatically into that of a warzone. Things were about to get serious.

"Alrigthy ladies and gents! This right here is your future!" Neptune declared from atop the altar.

"Could you please get down from there?" Noire facepalmed in embarrassment by proximity.

"This is serious Noire! Don't look down on the bouquet of fate!" Neptune held up the flower bouquet like it was a sacred treasure at the bottom of a high level dungeon.

Dozens of fearful and expectant eyes were gleaming in the darkness that suddenly set into the chapel. This was where it would get serious for the guests as well.

"Legend says that whoever catches these is gonna be the next in line! For what you ask? A kingdom? Nope! Much better. You're going to be the next bride!" Neptune smiled evilly as she played with the flowers.

A shockwave of intensity followed those simple words. Diverging will and dreams were clashing.

"Yay!" Only Compa cheered unperturbed.

"On three I'll unleash my pitch and whoever wants to get tied to their crush's gotta give it their all! And if you're scared of commitment, you better learn to DOOODGE!" Without warning, while still lulling them in with her explanation, Neptune suddenly shot the bouquet like a cannonball! Straight into the unprepared crowd. The throw was so energetic that she lost her footing and fell down. Noire caught her just in time.

It headed straight for Compa!

"Oohh I'm going to catch it!" The nurse said with opening and closing hands.

"COMPA!" IF suddenly yelled. "Your shoes-laces are open!"

"Ehh? That's no good." She immediately bowed down to fix her shoes. "Waaaait … my shoes don't have laces." The bouquet sailed right above her head and further into the crowd.

"I'm sorry Compa. I'm not ready yet." IF said with a balled fist and manly tears.

"Bad Iffy! You tricked me!" She puffed her cheeks.

The flowers were heading for Steamax who used his ninja reflexes to dodge them. He knew his chances pretty well.

Next came Plutia.

"Wooow, it's sooo preetty!" She held out her hands to receive it.

"P-P-Plutia?!" Ultra Noire and Blanc both watched her with a mix of dread and hope. They hadn't prepared their hearts yet. But if fate demanded that they would step up then how could they decline? If it was Plutia's will then there was really no helping it-

"Ohh… I missed it…~" She said lazily as her slow arms failed to grab the bouquet in time.

The hopeful duo fell to their hands and knees.

"It's mine!" RED unleashed a torrent of yoyos to ensnare the flowers! "For all my wifeys in the world!"

 _Swish._

Suddenly all the strings were cut in a single motion and the yoyos flew into the audience and hit a few heads.

"Heeey! That's unfair!" RED was fuming.

"Apologies! The organization gave me the mission to prevent you from creating your harem today." Marvy sheathed her katana and smiled apologetically. How she managed to move so fast inside a formal yukata was anybody's guess.

Next the lump of plants made its way towards the twins.

"We need to catch it?" Ram held up her arm.

"UNACCEPTABLE! You can't make small children marry!" Suddenly the chapel entrance was thrown open-

"Abnes?!"

"In the name of little girls across the world I am here to prevent-BWAGH!" A stray yoyo hit her into the face.

"Meh, I don't like flowers." Ram let her arm sink disinterestedly.

And the fateful item seemed to literally take curved path to avoid the walls!

"D-don't you want to catch it?" Chuko, the white mouse shop owner was fidgeting around and glancing at the incoming bouquet. She was addressing the grey rat next to her.

"Chu? Whose crackpot idea was that? Flowers don't mean anything. Bunch of chumps." Warechu (who was wearing a rat sized suit today) crossed his arms.

"You have no sense for romance at all!" Chuko squeaked in disappointment.

Sailiiing, the bouquet was saaaailing ~

"My fingers are tingling. I want to catch it." Big Nep was currently watching the incoming flowers with barely suppressed greed. Whenever something flew along her face she just had to collect it. Her bug-net was ready! "If some babe or hunk comes flying after me because of this then it's not my fault!" She raised her net and swung.

"H-huh what happened? Everything is dark..! Am I short-circuiting?" Histoire was whizzing around inside the net in complete confusion.

"Whoops." Big Nep was covered in sweat drops.

The bouquet kept flying like a boomerang across the field.

It reached the end of the path. It had taken a full 180° turn by now and was returning to sender. Only one more person was between it and the freshly married couple.

Blanc.

"This thing doesn't obey the laws of physics at all." She sighed and crossed her arms.

"Blanny! You have to catch it or it will go to waste!" Neptune shouted from behind her.

"Who cares? There is nobody I would want to marry. It's a stupid superstition anyway." Blanc closed her eyes and huffed.

"It's going to hit!" C-sha exclaimed casually from the backseats.

"Huh?!" Blanc opened her eyes. The bouquet changed trajectory was heading straight for her face. Did it have a homing instinct or something?! "Shut up… this ain't happening!" She evaded the attack by moving her head to the side. Just in time too, for it was about to collide. Now it missed her by a hair's breadth.

Or rather… it stopped completely in front of her. She could smell the fresh flowers in her nose.

The hand that had stopped it was covered in a light green glove.

Blanc mechanically turned her head. She was looking straight at Vert. The blonde goddess pulled the bouquet closer and smelt it. She seemed pleased.

"W-wha… Why did you catch it you idiot!?" Blanc exploded.

"It would have been a waste of these beautiful flowers to let it fall." Vert replied calmly.

Silence.

"Well well Blanny! Vertipoo too." Neptune patted them on the back. "Be seeing you here next then." She grinned amusedly.

Blanc was shaking like a kettle close to blow.

"Who would wanna marry this cow-udder straw-headed siscon freak!?" Blanc retorted while pointing at Vert with one hand.

"And they call _me_ a tsundere." Noire said with a huff.

"I have no intention of ever getting tied up with her! Stop staring! I'm serious dammit!"

"Harsh." Nep's eyes turned into lines.

"I feel bad for Lady Vert." IF said to distract Compa from pouting.

"Blanny…" C-sha sighed sympathetically.

Blanc had let out all of her rejection now, but that made her realize how quiet Vert had been. Slowly she turned towards her. Almost scared of what she would see.

She was right to be scared. Just not for the reasons she expected.

"Is that so?" Vert said with a wide smile. "I had expected you to refuse, but that is what you think of me then?" The fact that she kept her composure was much scarier than any outburst could have ever been. "Shall we discuss the details of your disdain then? _Privately_?" She grabbed Blanc by the ear.

"W-wait… I didn't mean it…"

"Please. There is no need to deny your honest feelings. We are both _mature_ adults, yes?" Vert said with a neutral smile and dragged Blanc behind by the ear.

"Ouch… oww… c-come on! You can't do this…!" Blanc struggled, but the grip on her earlobe was like that of an industrial claw. "I'm sorry! There, I apologized!"

"I couldn't hear you quite well. We should find a more quiet space to discuss this." And thus she dragged her out the door (while stepping on the knocked out Abnes). Of course the entire chapel had been silent, so that claim was unfounded.

"Hah young lovebirds." Falcom said completely straight.

* * *

After that… event, the post-wedding party began.

Neptune and Noire were seated in the main hall and urged to open the wedding gifts, while everybody spread over the mansion and did their thing.

As the sun started setting another big event started. The wooden stage in the next room had been prepared for a 5pb. performance. The idol had come in her rocky outfit below her dress, so it was easy to switch.

"Hi eveeeeryone! Can you hear me?" Her voice was amplified by the mic in her hand as well as several speakers across the big room.

"Loud and clear." MAGES. gave her the go ahead from the turntable.

"I wrote this new song completely inspired by Lady Neptune and Lady Noire's unbreakable chains of love! This is its world premiere!"

The crowd cheered.

"And this song just happens to be a duet!" She spun her mic in her hands and then posed with her hands towards the curtain. "Today I will be singing with a new partner." She declared and the spotlight went towards the new singer. Or at least where the new singer would have come out of the curtain.

After a few seconds of waiting she still didn't appear.

"Huh? Are you still too shy?" 5pb. laughed sympathetically and moved behind the curtain. There were clear signs of struggling until finally a person was pushed out.

It was Cave!

She was wearing a stage outfit!

And blushing!

The nervousness displayed on her face made her looks like a frightened bunny. She was holding her hands in front of her short skirt and looked at her feet. Her red hair was tied in twintails that hung down freely.

"Fuu… hahaha… ahahah…!" One could hear Chika lose it in the background. She almost choked on her drink.

"It's alright. I'm with you." 5pb. moved out of the curtain as well and put a hand on Cave's shoulder. A notion so soft and comforting it could have calmed a raging dragon.

"…not a good idea…. Can't…" Cave's voice was hoarse and quiet.

"Of course you can! We practiced together. This is your time to shine!" 5pb. grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "Let's hit it!" The recording of instruments flared up through the speakers and the melody began. "Our song is called ' **Nuit Viola**!' and it goes something. Like. This."

The first notes hit and 5pb. softly lead into the first verse. Her voice like the bells of heaven embraced the audience and uplifted them.

Then the second verse came in. Cave, with eyes spinning like whirlpools grabbed the mic tight enough to crack it. Then she took a deep breath… and let loose. Her verse flung open the gates of Celestia and released waves of light.

Finally their voices conjoined in the third verse and pure bliss was created.

Even the critics had stopped laughing and were entranced.

After the song faded away and the dancing stopped everyone stayed still and mesmerized.

Cave was steaming. Her face was covered by her hair and she jittered. She finally leaned it against 5pb.'s shoulder.

The idol looked surprised for a moment, but then patted her.

As if freed from a spell the audience applauded. But their jubilations were completely numb to the singers. Cave simply rested on 5pb.'s shoulder like she never wanted to leave.

* * *

"Is everything alright over there?" Nepgear asked Ultra Vert while they ate a few snacks.

"Hmhm, I would say so. Those three fools have gotten so caught up in their dealings that they have let their guard down. I am gaining more influence by the day." She explained with a dark chuckle.

Nepgear had no idea what their 'dealings' really were, but it seemed that Ultra Vert knew a chance when she saw one. Unlike the Vert that Nepgear dealt with daily, this one still had more ambition. She might even grow crazy with power if the other CPUs really were so distracted!

"Fufufu, my time with Peashy is growing each week! It was foolish to not pay attention to her. Big sister will be there to hug her when she is lonely!"

'Of course.' Nepgear chuckled. The punchline had been obvious.

* * *

"I apologize Mr. Steamax." Marvy unsheathed her katanas.

"N-no, I am in your care." Steamax prepared his shuriken.

"Why must you fight!?" Uni held out her hand theatrically.

"Because… of the money." Steamax and Marvy said with glints in their eyes.

With a little distance one could see the small border that was set up around their arena. Outside sat Affimojas and B-sha. Above them was a sign that attracted people to bet.

"Come along curious onlookers! The ninja death battle of the century!" B-sha shouted across the garden. "Steamax 'The Silver Streak of the hidden arts' is fighting Marvelous. 'The Bright Ninja that fights for her friends' to an untimely end!" The golden girl spun a noisy instrument around that could be heard all over the mansion.

"I bet on Marvester!" Big Nep put down a 1000 credits on the stand.

"Very well." Affimojas took her money and put it away.

"Weren't you in Affimax too? How could you bet against your comrade?" Uni asked with a twitching brow.

"No hard feelings. Steam-boy knows I don't mean to hurt his feelings. But he is gonna die."

"So you are fine if his body gets hurt!"

"Everyone's betting on the busty broad." Warechu nibbled on some cheese. "Tell me boss dude. Is this rigged? If ya bet on the perv you'd make a big buck chu."

"This is an honest and lawful death battle. Our honor would not allow us to cheat the customers." Affimojas said sternly.

"What a salesman. But I ain't buyin' it. 10000 on the ninja bot!" Warechu threw a stack of credits at the golden robot.

"That is your entire savings!" Chuko who had begrudgingly come along scolded him.

"Don't nag me woman. I know how this business works. I'm going to be swimming in dough soon chu!"

"…" Tekken watched the two fighters intently.

"Do you want to bet too rags?"

"E-eh? Am I… rags?"

"Can't afford a mirror either?" B-sha said with her head leaned on one hand. "I could give you a loan."

"No, I have money." Tekken said almost inaudibly. "But.. I just want to watch. It could be a close match. Both of them are very skilled."

"How can you tell? I just see two freaky ninjas." B-sha looked doubtful.

"Their stances have no openings." Tekken explained.

"Uh, that girl's got more openings than covered places in her outfit!"

Whatever the case, the bets were placed and a good crowd of spectators had gathered. The stakes were high and the atmosphere under the setting sun tense.

"The fight will begin…. NOW!" Affimojas declared and hit a gong.

In an instant the two flashes clashed and spun about. They were naught but blurs as they crossed blades and basically teleported around. Speed was of the essence here. Their swings were skilled, but nothing spectacular. Basically just a single slip up would lead to a huge fatal counter-attack.

"You're amazing Lady Marvelous.!" Steamax complimented her as a clone of his was cut apart.

"You aren't bad either Mister Roboto!" Marvy ducked under the spinning shuriken.

"Stop playin' around and get choppin'!" B-sha shouted.

Marvy flipped back and stabbed into the shadow behind her. Steamax was caught by her blade, but managed to lock it between his shuriken's blade and his arm. Sparks flew across the grass.

The robot ninja twisted the sword and then broke it!

Marvy looked slightly perturbed as the Shuriken sliced across her chest.

"Marvy!" Uni looked devastated as she was cut down and fell over.

"That was pretty good." Marvy said and suddenly jumped back up. "Real close hahaha!" Only her shirt had been cut open. She had laid back with the slash and managed to avoid getting gutted.

"…!" Steamax was completely stiff and unmoving all of a sudden.

"Time for my finishing move!" Marvy said and jumped up. Her chest bounced unshackled… because her shirt was cut open and fluttering away. "HIYAH!" She cut through the stunned Steamax (if he had been organic he might have displayed a huge nosebleed).

The robot ninja was blinking red and overheating before he collapsed and steam left his crevices.

He was cut down!

"Steamax no…!" Uni held her chest in pain.

"N-no… regrets…" Steamax gave Affimojas a thumbs up who nodded solemnly. He died with a good view.

"Actually whatever." Uni's eyes dulled in displeasure. She left the dying ninja behind.

"Chuuuuu?! How could he lose? Stupid perv! Who cares about those balls of fat!?" Warechu sank to his small knees and despaired.

"That's business." B-sha shrugged.

"Yay, I won!" Marvy did her victory pose with unbound jiggle physics.

"Cover yourself up already!"

* * *

The party neared its end around midnight. Although there was no sign of the fun ending, the newly-weds had to leave as tradition demanded. The night was still long…

"Well normally we'd have a car or somethin' with 'Just Married' on the back, but I guess we'll just have to fly." Neptune said in a good mood.

"But how are we going to move all these presents." Noire worried. There was basically a small mountain.

"HAH! I thought you might never ask!" From imaginary space the outline of a witch spawned between them. MAGES. was here to offer them a dark contract. "Me and assistant number 3 have done the unthinkable. We prepared you a magnificent steed that shall carry you and all your belongings to the end of the earth if you wish."

"Uni?" Noire turned towards her sister to ask for help in deciphering that.

"We repaired the food truck. It's parked at the entrance." Uni explained.

"Cool! I always wanted to drive!" Nep said excitedly.

"You don't have a license." Noire pushed her head down automatically. "Is it safe? It belongs to those two after all." She nodded towards Affimojas who was currently busy welting Steamax cut back together.

"You may have it. We made a tidy profit today, so we do not need it anymore." The golden robot said magnanimously.

"It was a real wreck anyway." Uni said unimpressed.

"We installed an autopilot, so there shan't be any worries for you. Simply keep looking into each other's eyes to find what you desire as it carries you to your destiny." MAGES. put her hands into her lab coat and nodded.

"Fiiine. I can do that." Nep gave her consent with a raised thumb below.

"Thank you all for coming today! Have a wonderful night!" Noire bowed her head to the guests and walked off with Neptune.

They found the truck relatively fast and entered it without trouble. A few people brought the presents and set them down on the back.

Ultra Neptune slapped a sign with 'Just Married' on the back and winked.

The new spouses waved through the back window as the truck took off. Their friends and family waved back in a picturesque moment.

The truck kept driving into the forest, quite straight. The autopilot worked. Just straight ahead. Without curves. Or vertical movement.

"This mansion stands on a hill, right?" Blanc said dryly.

"Yup." Uni replied.

"Are they seriously flying over the trees right now?"

"Yep." Nepgear nodded.

"They are still going up. And the speed is increasing."

"Indeed." Vert looked up towards the star filled sky.

"Where are they going?" Blanc wondered.

"To the moon." MAGES. replied with a smile.

"We… aren't going to stop them?"

"I think they already exited the stratosphere."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"So who wants some Blanc Manjuu?" C-sha said with a poker face.

"GYAAA! S-stop licking meeee!" The shriek of Ultra Noire reverberated through the quietness.

"Should have known we won't get away with this." Blanc sighed.

The commotion increased as more and more girls were squealing and screaming.

"What's happening?" Nepgear burst into the mansion.

It was a massacre… Dozens of tiny devils were attacking the guests and eating… their clothes?

"A-Abbadon? B-but why so many?" Uni looked confused.

"…" Vert realized it first. She walked into the room next door where a certain blonde girl was currently covered in the red devils. "Is this your doing?" She asked Million Arthur.

"A slight miscalculation on my part. This beast's soul is not compatible with my CALIBER system." The would-be king replied way too calmly for being covered in a hundred slobbering devils.

"You can't stop one Abbadon, so this is… bad. Nom nom…" God Eater said from somewhere below the pile of creatures. She was still eating something at least.

A few Abbadons latched on to Vert and started devouring her dress.

"Can you at least stop your cards from spawning them?"

"Of course! I simply cannot find my summoning disk right now." Arthur replied way too confidently for her situation.

"Ewww, no nasty tongues! I hate those!" They could hear Rom and Ram casting magic to blow up the Abbadons. Some latent trauma had returned when they saw the slobbering tongues.

"Ehehehe it tickles! Uzume is ticklish!" Orange Heart was giggling.

"Run! You fools!"

"Y-you… friggin' creepy… That's it! Transform! You're all gonna be smashed to bits!"

"Don't use EX moves inside-!"

BOOM.

That day many things were lost. Mostly dignity and clothes.

* * *

Far away inside the former food truck Nep and Noire were watching the growing moon.

"You got a hold of the controls yet?"

"Naturally. We can fly home any time." Noire said confidently.

"Let's keep flying a little higher. I want to see Gamindustri from up here!"

"Alright." Noire complied and they watched the world from above. It was beautiful.

"As nice as that place down there is, I'd trade it for you any day."

"Less sweet talking." Noire said and moved over the seat. "More cuddling."

"You know how to make your Neptune happy." Nep pressed her head against Noire's and enjoyed their closeness. "Best Spouses Forever?"

Noire sighed.

"Best Spouses Forever!"

"Yay!"

"Are we going to do this every time?"

"Only if you don't shut my mouth right now."

Noire said nothing more. Words were unnecessary.

They kissed under the intensely bright moonlight.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **The chapter was long enough so I'll make this short (lol)  
**

 **Thus ends the last story in the trilogy. Before I make a mistake and create another one by accident, let it be known right away: There will be bonus episodes! The main story is done, but there are still a few things left to tell.**

 **It's crazy that I've been writing Neptunia stories for over a year now. BFF? was a passion project I had in my head for years, but the sequels just sorta happened (lol)**

 **I know that this story was a little bloated due to trying too much stuff at once. I'll try to keep that in mind next time.**

 **So... yeah. Thanks for all the support everyone. See you in the Bonus Episodes!**

 **BuD**


	28. Bonus Episode: Pinetree (PM)

**PM = Pre marriage episode  
**

 **AM = After marriage episode**

 **PS: The title is dumb. Don't even think about it.**

* * *

 **Bonus Episode: Pinetree (PM)**

One day in Lowee's Basilicom.

Blanc and Vert were hanging out in their usual laid back style. While Blanc was reading a book on the couch, Vert was drinking some tea and enjoying the winter sunlight from the great window. To an outsider this might have appeared rather boring, but to them a quiet moment shared was a solace in a sea of hectic times. The twins were outside today and Chika was taking care of Vert's two dozen MMO accounts (May her soul rest in peace).

There was an unspeakable bond between people that could just silently enjoy each other's presence.

Yet…

"You have amassed a substantial collection while I wasn't paying attention." Vert remarked with a glance towards one of the shelves filled with books and blue-rays.

"I guess." Blanc admitted and closed her book with a 'pomf'.

"Science-fiction seems to be especially popular right now." The blonde girl sat her cup down and moved to the shelf. There were several rows devoted entirely to sci-fi TV shows.

"C-sha kept pestering me about this old show she liked." Blanc explained with a sigh.

"She has unexpected tastes." Vert chuckled. "Did you watch all of them?"

"Sure." The small CPU said with some reservation. Maybe she didn't want to sound too enthusiastic for fear that Vert might laugh at her.

" _Starfleet Surprise_. What a peculiar name." She checked the box of a cheesy old show. "My my… Do the handsome young captain and his second in command give in to their manly passions for each other at some point?" She asked with a dooly smile. The picture on the back showed the two leading men back to back in a pose of comradery.

Blanc raised a brow.

Then she smiled faintly.

"They actually kiss in one episode, because of some messed up plot." She confirmed. "Episode 68 I think."

"68?"

"68."

"In that case we now know our plans for this weekend!" She held up the blue-ray box and looked at Blanc like she was asking for a treat.

Blanc was kinda happy. Having a binge watching session with someone was always fun. Especially of a series she secretly enjoyed.

"Fine, not like I got anything better to do." She shrugged.

"Grand! Then I shall prepare us some snacks and you can prepare the TV." She was humming as she walked off to the kitchen.

Blanc stared after her for a little too long as she herself noticed embarrassedly. Vert was just acting aloof as always, no need to be so charmed!

While Blanc turned on the wide-screen TV and put the blue-ray into the player, she was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Stopping just short of pushing the insert button she walked back to her desk and picked up the ringing interruption.

Before she could even say anything the overblown voice of Neptune rang in her ears.

 _"My 'so-bad-it's-good sci-fi series' senses are tingling! You didn't think you could just do this behind my back, did ya Blanny? I want a piece of that!"_ Neptune seemed to be under the impression that she had to yell into the receiver to make up for their physical distance. There was no other explanation as to why she was currently blasting Blanc's eardrums out.

Blanc held the phone away from her ear for a bit to regain her sense of hearing. Then she brought it back carefully and replied.

"Vert is here right now…"

 _"That's great for her! I wanna be there too though!"_

Blanc's brows twisted. This was a bad turn of events.

"We can watch something else another time… This is kind of a… you know a…" She trailed off. She had a hard time spelling it out. How could she possibly say it was a _date_.

 _"_ A _? B? Maybe C? I'll tell you what this actually is! It's a crime to leave me out!"_

"Listen here babyface, this isn't that kinda girls' night dammit!" She growled. Neptune was getting on her nerves now. "Me and blondie are…" The words got stuck in her throat as she noticed Vert peeking around the kitchen corner with a stupid grin! She was totally listening in!

Neptune became quiet for a second as realization finally seemed to dawn on her.

 _"Wow… It's weird to be on that side of the dialogue box for once."_ She said with more restraint. _"Awkwaaaard."_

"Can't you just watch it with Noire or something?" Blanc rubbed her face as she tried to ignore the increasingly more amused Vert's gaze.

 _"You'd think right?! But did you know? Nowa doesn't like cheap trashy ancient sci-fi shows! The humanity!"_

"Seriously?" Blanc indeed could not believe it.

 _"She only watches, like, those super flashy special-effectacular modern ones with a budget that you could buy 20 sports cars with for each scene."_ Nep explained with barely hidden hipster contempt.

"Nobody appreciates the classics anymore." Blanc grunted in agreement.

"Are you going to be talking on the phone for much longer? You don't mind me turning the first episode on in the meantime, right?" Vert playfully pushed the insert disc button and called out to Blanc with a wink.

"Shit! Don't you even dare! I'm hanging up Neptune. Have fun with your cutting edge movies or whatever." She hung up in the middle of Nep's protests and exhaled with an exhausted expression. It was way more straining than she thought… To admit that she and Vert…

"These pretzel sticks are surprisingly good. I can hardly stop myself~" Vert said casually while stuffing about ten of them into her mouth.

"Gaaah stop eating all my snacks! I'm coming already!" She freaked out and jumped over the couch to sit down next to Vert as the TV show's intro music played.

"Is that a tin can strapped to a tube I am seeing on screen right now?" Vert asked curiously.

"That's supposed to be the spaceship."

"Fascinating."

Blanc subtly moved closer to Vert and took a few pretzel sticks from her bowl. The blonde girl's smile secretly grew with the increasing closeness.

* * *

Another day the pair had a 'date' in the city. Although Blanc would never have called it that of course.

The sun started to set.

"It's this freaking late already?" Blanc read the time on a clock tower and tilted her head.

"Time certainly flies when you enjoy yourself. I tend to forget about the flow of time around you as well." Vert nodded.

"…" The short-haired girl was feeling a strange lump in her chest, hearing that. How could that blondie just say embarrassing stuff without a care? It took all she had not to let her cheeks burn up. Also not to puke from that sappy statement. In fact she felt really dizzy.

"Are you alright? You are rather pale." Vert suddenly mustered her girlfriend with concerned eyes.

"Whatchu talkin' about? I'm fine-" The moment she tried to refute that claim her vision suddenly blurred out. Everything turned into a haze and her legs became weak. Without the strength to brace herself she collapsed and lost consciousness.

"Blanc!"

Vert's surprised shout was the last thing she heard before fading to black.

….

….

The tides of sleep were eventually retreating and revealed the dry land of consciousness. Blanc needed a few moments to regain her sense of reality. Against all odds she felt pretty good right now. Rested even.

Her eyes slowly opened. In front of her was a green meadow and a collection of strewn about tress. A little pond to the right. Some trashcans to the left. This was a park.

She blinked a few times in the fading sunlight. The sky was entirely red and orange already.

How did she end up here? Was she sitting… on a bench? No, it was way too soft for that. Her head felt like it was resting on a pillow. And her butt was planted on something soft as comfortable.

"How was your nap?" Vert's voice asked incredibly close to her ear.

Blanc stiffened up reflexively. Her muscles turned rock hard in shock.

This wasn't real. Nope. Couldn't be.

But that feeling was familiar, wasn't it? Her head was resting against a certain someone's chest… she looked down. She was sitting on someone's lap.

"…!" Blanc covered her face with both hands and considered her options. She could just knock herself out again. That would at least have delayed the shame.

"I must say, you slept like a baby. It appears you passed out due to sleep deprivation. I was truly worried for a moment." Vert hugged her from behind like she would a child.

It wasn't made better by the fact that she was literally sitting on her lap! At least make it a lap pillow! That's more adult! Those thoughts rushed through Blanc's shambled mind.

"…long…. go already…" Her words were barely audible at all.

"We have been here for an hour." Vert replied as if she had understood her perfectly well. "You seemed to enjoy this though; do you really want to leave already?" She remarked close to her ear.

Blanc could feel her earlobes turn red. This big bimbo must have had quite an internal laugh at her expense right now!

"While you recuperated something interesting happened." Vert changed the topic to give Blanc some respite. She honestly appreciated it.

"What's that?"

"A couple approached us and said that my daughter is quite adorable." Vert recollected.

"The hell? You don't have a-" Midsentence she realized what she was getting at. " **That didn't happen**." She refused to accept that.

"I assure you, it really did. What would I gain by lying about such a thing?" Vert insisted with all honesty.

"No way… that can't be." She mumbled while rubbing her temples. She didn't look like some brat! Was that how people saw their relationship? Blanc was like a daughter to Vert? She would beat the crap out of anyone who said that!

"Do you have complaints? Was there something wrong with the softness of your sleep?" Vert asked cluelessly and leaned forward, which pushed her chest against Blanc's head by accident.

"Don't get too full of yourself! This doesn't feel that great." She retorted as she pushed back her head forcefully. The following wobbling sound made her face turn even darker.

"My apologies. All I could do was _offer you_ my uncomfortable _body_. Next time I shall take you to a _hotel_ instead." Vert replied coolly. She never missed a beat.

That was the point where embarrassment and shame evolved into something beyond. Yep. Blanc completely lost. And blondie knew it. Her chuckling was like a victory fanfare.

Having lost verbally, all Blanc had left was to struggle free. She wouldn't be subjugated to this shameful position any longer!

Her struggling caught Vert off-guard and she fell over. As Blanc burst free the blonde goddess hit her head painfully against the bench. The pain was momentary, but she closed her eyes in response and held the protruding bump.

"Mhn… you are too wild sometimes." Vert was rewarded by a stinging pain when she touched the bump.

Unexpectedly she felt Blanc's small hands grab her head and move it. As she opened her eyes again she stared up to the light-blue eyes of a stoic girl. Additionally her hurting head was resting on something soft.

This feeling and angle… her head was on Blanc's lap.

"I'm not as squishy as you… but I can still repay the favor." She muttered sheepishly.

Vert's mouth was agape for a moment and she felt her heartbeat accelerate. But then she closed her eyes and smiled.

"This is comfortable in its own way."

She simply surrendered to the pleasant feeling during this beautiful sunset.

They stayed like this for quite some time.

 **FIN**


	29. Bonus Episode: Unnecessary Tags (AM)

**It had to happen eventually. I'm not sorry.**

 **Okay, maybe I'm a little sorry.  
**

* * *

 **Bonus Episode: Unnecessary Tags (AM)**

"Look we are on TV!" Neptune exclaimed.

"We are always on TV." Noire replied with a shrug. It came with the job description.

They were sitting in front of a TV in Planeptune Tower's living room.

"Someone sat down on the replay button at Nepstation! They replayed our wedding like a gajlllion times." And that was still an understatement. Nep put her arms behind her head and whistled. "They really got my hot bod from all the right angles in that fancy dress~"

Purple Heart was currently shown on screen holding a flower bouquet and wearing a gorgeous dress. The official wedding had been a spectacular event. An open air ceremony with all news channels in the world present.

"…" Noire had no way to deny Neptune's words. That dress looked bombastic on Purple Heart. She had to gulp every time she saw the recording.

"You see something you like, _my honey_?" Neptune grinned knowingly and poked Noire's defenseless side.

"S-stop calling me that. It just sounds silly coming out of your mouth." Noire huffed and flicked Neptune's poking fingers away.

"Neppu?! We are tied by the rings of fate now! You can't deny the truth; I even got the certificate nailed to the ceiling above my bed!"

"Why would you do that?!"

"So I can go to sleep every night knowing I didn't just dream it." Nep said smoothly and leaned her arm on Noire's shoulder.

"All of Gamindustri would be under a huge hallucination then." She said with one closed eye and pushed the off button on the remote. The TV shut off in the middle of the wedding speech.

"But but! Spouses gotta give each other pet names! It must be in the instruction leaflet or whatever." Nep brought back the previous topic.

"You already keep calling me by this butchered version of my name, don't you?" Noire argued.

"Nowa is Nowa, that's just normal."

"Nothing is normal about that! It's just two syllables, don't get them wrong idiot!"

"You never call me anything… _special_." Neptune pouted. She retracted her arm and turned away.

Noire felt helpless all of a sudden and raised her hands indecisively.

"I-it's not like I am doing it on purpose because I am t-too embarrassed or anything!" She stuttered.

"D-a-r-l-i-n-g~" Neptune sang the letters.

"….you can't be serious." Noire covered her face with her right hand.

"It's that or _dearest sweetheart soulmate hunhun sugarplum_!"

Noire shook her head vehemently. She couldn't say it!

"I got a new one for you! How about: **Magical Noirina**?"

"Please stop it _darling_!" Noire screamed in the hopes to drown out the horror!

"Ohoho~" Nep snickered into her hand.

"W-what?" A red-faced Noire inquired.

"That sounds totally wrong coming from you!" She burst into laughter.

"Why youuuuu!" Noire pushed Neptune down and they playfully wrestled for a while.

Eventually they were lying flat on the couch in exhaustion. But being pressed against each other while recovering was rather pleasing too.

"Is something wrong?" Noire asked while they just listened to the birds outside the Basilicom.

"Wha-" Neptune was caught off-guard.

"Don't act so surprised. A wife always knows how her spouse feels… i-it's only natural." Noire said and flicked her twintails aside.

"Nowa has leveled up her sensitive soul perk?" Nep looked actually shocked.

"I've always been sensitive! Wait no, I mean I always knew how to be sensible-"

"My sensitive honey ~" Neptune teased.

"Stop distracting." Noire pinched Nep's cheek.

"Owowow! Domestic violence!" The purple haired wife tapped out immediately.

"You fought with Histoire, right?"

"Neppu?!" Twice now. She really was out of it today.

"I saw her sulking in the office when I passed by." Noire sighed and rose up on the couch. She pulled Neptune up by her hood. "Admit it. You skipped work again."

"That's assassination of character! Histy and I never would have a real fight over some boring paperwork." She crossed her arms.

"That boring work is your job you know?" Noire rubbed her temples. "Then why did you fight?"

"It wasn't… a real battle…" She was still dodging.

"I don't care whether it was a practice match or an all-out war. Just tell me what happened." She didn't like to see those two on bad terms.

"It was a total overreaction on Histy's side. I swear on my last pudding!" Nep stared Noire down.

"That means a lot to you."

"Yup!"

"Or it would if you hadn't already eaten it." Noire shrugged with a cold smile.

"Geh!?"

"Nepgear asked me if we wanted any snacks. When she went through the fridge she mentioned that all the pudding was gone." Noire explained triumphantly.

"Sweet Nep Jr., how could you backstab me so?!"

"Leaving that aside, that means it was something worth getting angry over."

"Pah!" Nep was cornered now so she gave up. Instead of retreating she pushed all the way back immediately. "I asked if we could grow [classified] with Share energy."

"….." Noire's face turned to stone.

"She was soooo hysterical." Neptune shrugged.

"Aababa…. Y-you… what?" Noire's throat was so dry she could barely talk.

"Don't act as if you never thought about it before." Nep said with a sardonic grin. "As if you didn't wanna know who would be the pitcher and who the catcher-"

"STOP!" Noire pushed her hands into Neptune's face to silence her. "H-Histoire was right to shame you! H-how crude! Who would want something like that?!"

"I mean toys are fine too, it was just a thought-"

"AHHHH! Stupidtune!" Noire jumped off the couch and ran out of the room at crazy speeds. She was beet red.

"Ehhh?! That's not the kind of pet name I wanted!" Nep looked after her disappearing wife with white eyes.

Noire was simply too pure for this world.

* * *

Nepgear walked towards the living room while humming. She had prepared something special for her sisters. Hopefully they would like it!

Just as she turned to face the door it was suddenly flung open and Noire ran past her! She accidentally brushed against Nepgear's shoulder and made her lose balance on the tray.

"I hate you Stupidtune!" Noire yelled and rushed down the stairs.

Nepgear was so in shock that she didn't immediately notice the felled chiffon cake on the floor. But when she did her mouth turned square-shaped.

All that work wasted on the floor!

She shakingly scooped it up and put it back on the tray. At least the soda hadn't spilled from the glasses somehow.

"Waaaaait Nowaaaa! We don't need to skip so many levels! We can do it at your paaaace!" And that's when Neptune burst out of the living room as well and basically tackled Nepgear out of the way.

"Gyaaah?!" Nepgear was flung out of the way.

"Sorry Nep Jr., honeymoon emergency!" She apologized with one raised hand, but didn't even stop her sprint towards Noire's descending back.

Nepgear landed on her butt and watched as the soda inevitably spilt all over her chiffon cake.

* * *

"Just what were they doing?" Uni sighed as she patted Nepgear's desolate back.

Planeptune's CPU candidate was depressed. She was facing the ruined cake on the kitchen counter.

"I wanted to bring cake to Histy and Sis so they could make up." She mumbled. Clearly she had no idea what they had fought over, but apparently Noire was now in on it as well.

"…" Uni stayed quiet for a while and watched her girlfriend. Then she suddenly turned determined.

"Huh? S-stop it Uni, it's all gross now!" Nepgear snapped out of her down state when she saw Uni put a fork into the mushy chiffon cake.

"You put so much effort into it…" Uni brought the soggy piece to her mouth and ate it without regrets. "I love Nepgear's baked stuff." She said without even twisting her face!

"U-u-uniiii!" Nepgear was moved to tears and hugged her with all her strength.

"H-hey! If you crush me like that I will drop the cake again!" She complained to hide her embarrassment.

"I will make a new one just for you!" She sniffled and then smiled widely.

"Maybe soda flavor isn't so bad with chiffon actually." Uni uttered thoughtfully between bites.

"You want to make a new creation again?" Nepgear was positively excited. They hadn't done something like that ever since they made the specialty together that combined Planeptune's pudding and Lastation's dark chocolate. The recipe had become somewhat famous on the net by now. It was especially popular after the wedding of the CPUs. A symbol that brought the two nations closer together.

"I'm not sure this one's going to be a hit." Uni chuckled. But she finished the cake anyway.

* * *

A bit later they moved to Gear's room and played a few games together.

"Big sis is still not back." Uni looked at the clock. It had become rather late.

"Maybe they are arguing somewhere right now." Nepgear put the controller down with a sad expression.

"Just what was that about anyway?" Uni played with her hair.

"I'm not entirely sure. I overheard Histy and Sis arguing before, but it didn't make much sense."

"Really? What did you pick up?" Now Uni was curious.

"I only heard them say 'pregnant' and 'artificial [classified]." Nepgear innocently explained with a finger on her chin.

Uni spat out her soda with the force of a typhoon.

"G…th… they… preg-?!" She was coughing as she tried to force out the words.

"Deep breaths." Nepgear patted her back and wiped soda with a handkerchief.

"T-they want to have kids already?" Uni finally recovered her voice. They weren't ready for that yet! _Uni_ wasn't ready to be an aunt!

"I am not sure. I don't think that was the point somehow." She shook her head softly.

"I-is that even possible… for CPUs to have children?" Uni played with her thumbs and shut the console down to distract herself.

"I think it should be possible with sufficient Share power." Nepgear nodded. Her technical interest had been awakened. "To make sure it's a child of the two CPUs in question we would need to ascertain it is a transfer of Share DNA somehow. So I could build a tube that shoots the energy straight to the core of the mother's..."

Uni pushed her finger so hard against the off button that the console broke into two.

"…for maximum efficiency we could strap it to the other party's body somehow. Maybe around the waist area…"

While rapidly raising her head Uni banged it against the desk close-by, which promptly made its legs burst to pieces.

"…going into an HDD state would increase the chance of success immensely. It has to be a strong burst of Shares directly transferred from one body into the other after all…"

Without control over her movements Uni held her ears shut and rolled all over the floor.

"…insertion might be painful, so we should make sure it will be a smooth entry-"

"STOOOOP!" Nepgear's in-depth analyses was giving Uni all kinds of improper thoughts! She stood up and urged her to stop with both hands.

"Eh? You don't want to make children?" Nepgear looked up to her with a tilted head. Those innocent infinitely cute eyes were looking at her without a clue.

POOF.

Uni's brain just went bye-bye.

"Nepgear you duuuummmyyyyy!" She ran out of the room teary-eyed and with hands on her face.

"Not you too!" She stretched out her hand after her in shock.

Uni was too pure for this den of madness!

 **FIN**


	30. Bonus Episode: Hi Five Extra Extra (PM)

**I didn't forget.  
**

* * *

 **Bonus Episode: Hi Five Extra Extra (PM)**

There comes a time in the life of a record label manager when hard decisions had to be made. Artists and idols over time become like their very own children to them. And like a real parent they wish nothing but the best for their fledgling, their protégé, their pride and joy!

But they also still want the best for the record label and its bank account.

There was a list of things that were considered _**poison**_ in this industry. Especially for idols. Even more so for solo acts. Somewhere between drug abuse and homicide on that list was the following topic: **A romantic relationship**.

As shocking as this revelation may be, idol fans are a jealous bunch. The very idea that the idol is pure and looks at all people equally was the main force behind their popularity. The second most important point was a cute face. The third was a nice outfit.

At some point music might also have played a minor role. Not too sure about that one.

The above is the reason why the following conversation was incredibly vital to the future career of a certain blue haired mega-idol.

"Don't you want to try getting addicted to some exotic bath salts instead?" Miss Manager suggested with folded hands and a dark desperation in her eyes.

"I am not trying to make a scandal!" 5pb. retorted with white eyes.

"But that is exactly what will happen my dear." Miss Manager's face sank into her folded hands and her bob cut hair seemed to create a reflective ball around her.

"How could our love ever be scandalous? There is nothing to be ashamed of!" The idol shook her head.

"Is that so? Your partner seems to be quite ashamed though." Miss Manager glared in the direction of the red-head who was standing at the other end of the hallway!

She was holding her hands behind her back and looked at her feet.

"Cave?! When did you get all the way over there?" 5pb.'s pupils turned into sound spikes from surprise.

"Don't…mind me…" She whispered. Adding the distance to that and they basically didn't hear her voice at all.

Miss Manager adjusted her glasses. She had never seen the co-host of the show so meek. Against her own will she could only see that reaction as cute.

"Sweetie, I don't want to shake you, but do you really think this is love? Sometimes when two people spend a lot of time together and accomplish many things… they mix up familiarity with romantic affection." What was she even saying? She had no idea! As long as it got Gamindustri's number 1 idol to hesitate it didn't matter!

"T-this is…" She blushed.

"Did you two actually confess? Is this just a dare? Are you trying to ask for a raise?" Miss Manager's glasses reflected the light and she became more and more rigid.

"W-we totally confessed!" 5pb. exclaimed.

* * *

Cave: "Oh how thy lovely self has smitten me utterly forevermore! Willst thou become mine and mine alone?"

5pb.: "Mine heart shall be yours and yours alone and shan't ever belong to any other lass, for thus I swear on my heart even if it doth smart in your absence forward!"

* * *

"Very cute. I am sure the theatrical minded listeners will at least have a good laugh." Miss Manager said with a hollow smile. "Cave." She ordered the distanced girl to come over.

Like a maid that had broken about a dozen plates with a jackhammer, Cave guiltily tiptoed back into the office while bowing her head.

"…"

"Tell me what really happened."

"How rude! I was retelling it exactly how I remembered it!" 5pb. tapped her index fingers against each other while complaining.

"Uhm… it was… like this…"

* * *

Cave: "I really love peaches."

5pb.: "Me too."

* * *

"That had nothing to do with romance!" Miss Manager slammed her hands on the desk.

"…" Cave was producing enough smoke from her head to trigger a sprinkler system. Good thing they hadn't installed any to cut on costs!

"Don't you remember what really happened Cave?" 5pb. looked at her with a tilted head.

"I… I can't remember anything…" She admitted.

"So that's why you fainted when you woke up this morning." She clapped her hands while Cave sank her face into her palms.

This morning. What was that about? Was it bad? Did this Manager have to call the police?

* * *

"Hmhmhm~ Doo bi boo bi doo ~" 5pb. hummed cheerfully while combing her hair. She was only wearing her black laced underwear.

"Mrm… come back to bed." Cave asked longingly with a sleepy face. She pulled the idol under the blanket.

"Ehehe you are so needy ~" She giggled and the mass under the blanket began to squirm suggestively.

* * *

"Something like this?! How far was the escalation? Do I need to find a new job?" Miss Manager pointed at her thought bubble with the scene in it.

"Awawawa…!" The blue haired idol began to glow like a reactor on full capacity!

Cave just repeatedly hit her head against the desk as if repenting to some deity.

"W-w-we didn't go that far!"

"Then tell me what actually happened." She adjusted her glasses with shivering hands.

* * *

"Hm hm hm! Doob dibi dii doob~!" 5pb. hummed thoughtfully while combing Cave's red hair. She was wearing nothing but a catsuit.

"Mrm… comb back to the left." Cave asked impatiently. She was scratching the clown paint from her itchy face.

"Ehehe you are so picky ~" She chuckled and the massive afro started to squirm under the comb.

* * *

"I have waaay too many questions." Miss Manager pushed up her glasses fiercely as it kept sliding down from all the sweat.

"Maybe I dreamt that part." 5pb. put one finger to her chin.

"That is a solid definitely!"

"Actually… that really happened… yesterday." Cave reminded her hesitantly.

"Not you too!"

"Riiight~ We went to that carnival show, so we all dressed up. Cave was such a funny clown." The idol laughed. "I barely got your hair to become so smooth again."

"I don't remember signing such an event for you!" Manager Miss shook her head. "Then what happened this morning? Cave you seem to have a good grasp on things."

"…" She nodded.

* * *

"Hum hum hum! Dee-dee-dee-dum~" 5pb. hummed quietly while staring at Cave's face patiently. She was wearing a normal black night gown.

"Mrm…" Cave slowly opened her green eyes. "Did I leave the stereo on-" She wondered where the melody came from. As soon as she returned to the awake world she noticed that 5pb.'s cute face was literal centimeters away from her own. She might as well have looked into a Gorgon's eyes, as she become completely petrified.

"Ehehe good morning sleepyhead ~"

Cave pulled a blanket over her face and pretended to not have seen anything.

"Hey hey, it's time to get up!" The blue haired girl said cheerfully and pulled at the blanket. It didn't budge even a little under Cave's titanium grip. "You leave me no choice." Her eye glinted and she started to tickle the red-head through the blanket.

* * *

"And then I don't have any recollection." Cave explained coolly.

"You tickled her until she fainted?!" Manager of Managers turned to 5pb. in concern.

"Eeeh? Did I? I only remember tickling the afro."

"Forget about that costume stuff already!"

"I'm sorry… I can't really remember a whole lot, because I was just blanking out so much." 5pb. said with a love struck expression.

'She went so far into girly mode that she is creating her own separate reality!' Miss Manager was afraid of this idol's power. The flowers and pink bubbly background were spreading over her office.

"You… you woke up in the same bed. And you said you confessed yesterday evening." She put two and two together. Maybe even all the number around that too.

"…" Cave pulled down her hat and lowered her head again. "I'm sorry… I actually remember… but I can't repeat it." She admitted. Someone seriously had taken a flamethrower and molten off her stoic façade over night. There was no other explanation.

"Really?! Please tell me!" Completely ignoring the second half of the statement 5pb. immediately requested to hear the details. "I hope it was super romantic."

"…." Cave began shaking like a tea kettle about to blow steam.

"Fine fine, I believe you. You don't have to torture yourse-" Miss Manager raised her hands in a placating manner, but...

"Did we kiss?!" 5pb. squealed.

BOOM!

And there went Cave's hat. It was dissipating into a better place.

"It'snotlikewekissedokayI'msorryitwasallmyfaultforgivemeI'mnotcutewecanbreakupifyouwant."She rattled down words like on a conveyor belt. Dark clouds gathered around her and started to combat the pink sparkle aura of the other girl.

"What in Lady Green Heart's name happened between you two?" Managerino asked in utter confusion and pulled a peach from her fruit basket.

"PEACH!" 5pb. exclaimed like a detective would yell the culprit's name in a murder mystery.

"Yes this is a peach."

"Peaches… so that was it." It all came back to her now.

"You can have one if you wan-"

* * *

"Good work today." Cave came into 5pb.'s dressing room as she was used to and handed the sweaty idol a towel.

"You too!" She gladly took it and wiped her exhaustion away.

"Here, you need to stay hydrated." Cave handed her a bottle of high class water next. It was the idol girl's favorite brand.

"Thanks, you know me so well~" She gulped down until the bottle was empty. Then she exhaled satisfied.

"I made sure the water in the shower is exactly at your favorite temperature." She waved her over to the backstage shower room.

"Oh… I… thanks." 5pb. hesitated for a moment. Then she got up and followed Cave.

"The room service back at the hotel is preparing some onigiri as we speak. I know you prefer to eat something light after a concert."

"T-true…" She nodded and slowed down. They stopped in front of the shower room.

"I will get the car ready then. The backrest should be just right for your head-"

"Cave!" She interrupted the ever hard working bodyguard.

"Hm? Is something bothering you? Did one of those _vermin_ (fans) out there say something upsetting?" She looked towards the stage with cold eyes.

"That's not it… and please don't call my fans bad names." She folded the towel in her hands repeatedly.

"My apologies. I was thinking of some cleaning I did yesterday." She replied stoically.

Nobody mixed up human beings with house rats like that!

"Cave… you know almost everything about me." She said with a flustered expression.

"That is part of my job." The red-head replied dutifully.

"You say the same about protecting me and helping me out with anything else." The idol clasped the slightly moist towel harder.

"Because it's the truth." She said with a question mark above her head.

"No it's not!" Suddenly 5pb. exclaimed so loudly. "A bodyguard doesn't have to do all that for me!" She denied her strongly.

"…" Cave put a hand on her mouth and seemed to contemplate those words.

"During the radio shows you were my co-host. I liked that Cave much better…" She admitted with an apologetic face.

"That's…" She didn't seem to find the words to respond appropriately.

"You know so much about me… but I don't know enough about you!" The songstress revealed her true gripe with upturned eyes. Looking up at the ever so unyielding Cave.

"I am… a boring person." Cave replied carefully. "During the radio segments I did my best to support your natural charisma-"

"I don't want to hear about me!" She shook her head forcefully. "I want to know more about you! Why are you always so amazing? What kind of things do you like that you don't show me? Is there someone you look at with a different expression from everyone else?" She let go of the towel and held on to Cave's coat.

[ _"The way you express your emotions so freely…. It is what I adore about you."_ ]

The memory of that special radio show flared up in their minds. Ever since then there had been some strain in their interactions. A hidden distance in their closeness. Cave was acting like she always did, but that was almost mechanically precise, not like a real person.

And 5pb. had simply let her do it until now. Because she too didn't know how to act anymore. What she had been feeling for a long time… maybe she had already realized it since the moment she first met the awkward bodyguard all that time ago.

She was intrigued. She was interested. She needed to know more.

But she also appreciated the silent and dependable Cave. She found comfort in someone so strong, untouchable and admirable. The red-head did not appreciate herself, she was socially awkward at times. 5pb. could relate so much it hurt.

They both saw something in each other that they were lacking. Yet the truth was that they both had that thing all along. And whenever they were close they brought it out in the other. This wonderful synergy, like two strands of melody that alternated in a beautiful spiral.

5pb. felt something hot and wet on her hands that held on to Cave. They were tears. Without her own accord they kept streaming from her eyes.

"Please dry your tears." Cave used her sleeve to gently wipe the idol's salty tears away.

"You are so much greater than you think you are. I just want to prove it to you…!" She sobbed.

"I am happy." She suddenly whispered. "When you say those words to me… I want to believe them. Even if it's just a false image." She smiled tenderly. A smile that she had shown nobody else.

It was so mesmerizing, even 5pb.'s glistening tears dried up in surprise.

"I will repeat them until you believe them forever!" She declared with a serious voice.

"That would be quite troubling. Then you would be stuck with me forever as well." She said and scratched her cheek with a flustered expression.

"I don't mind."

"Pardon?"

"The reason I can be myself is your support. Without you I won't feel complete anymore." She uttered those fateful words like they were a lyric to a simple tune in her heart.

"!" There was nothing Cave could possibly have replied with here.

"My feelings are clear as the summer sky. I don't want to ignore them anymore. I'm a little bit afraid of your reply…" She cleared her throat like she would before a song. It was now or never. The mood was right. No turning back. Rock 'n' Roll!

"I can't accept those feelings." Cave raised her hand before 5pb. even managed to throw them out!

She was devastated by the flat rejection. Not even allowed to give them sound… it was too cruel.

"I'm sorry… If I heard them I might waver. I would love to stay friends. If you would still have me." She bowed her head so deeply that it went below 5pb.'s head.

"At least… tell me why…" How could she be so cruel? To say she had to resist? Did she dislike it so much that she felt like it was an obligation that would trap her? Would she have said yes just for her sake if she actually voiced those feelings?

"I can't…"

"Why?"

"Please don't…"

"Why not?"

"It's impossible…"

"Why does it have to be this way?"

Their exchange was utterly pointless. It was simple disbelief speaking through the idol's mouth. And painful denial escaping the bodyguard's lips.

There was no end to it… an eternal cycle of pain….

"I AM SCARED!" Cave suddenly shouted with all her might.

"…?" 5pb. looked at her hunched over bodyguard and barely registered her outburst. It was so outlandish, so unlike her at all.

"I don't want to lose you… I don't know how to respond to your feelings… I don't know anything…!" Tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes. "Is my heart allowed to feel this much joy? Won't it all disappear the moment I try to firmly grasp it?"

"Why would it?" 5pb. replied in disbelief.

"Because you… you can't like me. Not the real me!" She said self-depreciatingly. "There is nothing there. Nothing but a void. I just exist… but even the void is drawn towards something. Something that filled it to the brim without even trying." She sank to her knees in front of the one person she adored.

"You…"

"I loved everything about you from the first moment we met." Cave said with a yearning voice. "How could I not? But what a cruel joke fate played on us. Someone who is nothing cannot reach someone who is everything. I was jealous of those people who expressed their love for you so easily. I hated how they acted as if they were able to close that gap I never managed to escape."

That's when Cave felt something soft against her tear filled eyes. A melting kiss. And another. Until all her tears were dried.

She softly caressed Cave's face.

"See? The gap between us isn't even big enough for a tear to pass through."

Cave's green eyes widened. Just like she dried this beautiful girl's tears before… she did the same for her.

The comfort in this simple action was all she needed to fall for her all over again.

"I might have fallen for the Cave on the outside." The tip of her tongue was pushing through her lips. "But I adore the Cave on the inside as well."

It was all over in the blink of an eye. 5pb. was too good. Her feelings always reached the listener. That was her unique strength. Cave should have known that she was nothing but an instrument to those filigree like fingers. Perhaps this beloved girl could even make _her_ play a beautiful tune.

Like a scared animal she uncertainly turned her face upwards and closed her eyes. It was such a girlish action that it made 5pb. squeal inside.

Without hesitation she met the lips halfway and gave her a loving kiss.

They said the first kiss was the most powerful. It left a deep impression. This emotion was bound to become a melody that would carry them far.

Afterwards they simply sat down back to back, unable to look the other in the eye.

"I really love peaches." Cave suddenly mumbled.

5pb.'s ears perked up. Something she didn't know about Cave!

"Me too." She replied with a beaming smile.

* * *

"So the peach really was the key to the whole thing." The ultimate Manager said while taking a bite out of her peach.

"How did I forget?" The idol slapped her own cheek.

"Ah, don't hurt yourself…!"

"It's okay! That pain will remind me not to forget ever again!" She was fired up for sure. "After that Cave fell asleep from exhaustion, so I carried her to the hotel. But she was too heavy, so I just kind of fell over and dropped next to her."

"I'm glad nothing deplorable happened, but that was quite some story you just told me really openly. I feel like watched a romance drama or something. My heart isn't made for this kind of tension." She complained and wiped her glasses nervously. At this point there was absolutely no doubt about the seriousness of their love. Basically, she might as well have kicked a cat, starved a dog or stolen candy from babies if she wanted to stop those two from getting into a relationship.

The silence in the room had become incredibly awkward. Somehow Miss Manager felt like a third wheel in her own office.

"I have no objections to your decision. Just let me inform you that this will drastically affect your public image. There have been many idols that crashed and burned because of this kind of thing." She gave them the honest truth.

"…I don't need to be in a relationship that harms her career. There is no need to drag her down with me-" Cave was about to retract her wish, but 5pb. put a hand on her lap.

"It's fine now. Even if my career suddenly ends, I would be fine if I only sang for your ears. It would still make me just as happy."

Cave felt such a swell of emotions that she wanted to make a dozen expressions at once. Which just led to her making a neutral poker face.

She got up from the chair and walked into a corner of the room.

"I have to inspect... this place might be bugged." She said mechanically and kept punching the wall in overwhelming emotions.

"I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have put them that deep into my walls!" Miss Manager retorted.

After a short while Cave had cooled off and sat back down with a dreamy expression.

"Let's not go with the worst case scenario. Should your career not crash, there is still another issue. The really jealous fans will make the life of your lover a living hell." She said towards 5pb. with furrowed brows. "The cases of harassment I have heard of were horrible."

That prospect shook 5pb. much more than any previous argument. Her eyes became sad and distant.

"If Cave gets hurt because of me then I don't want to…"

"No problem." Cave said with a reliable thumbs up.

"Excuse me?" Manager squinted.

"I have been taking care of such scoundrels on a daily basis since the radio show started." She was really nonchalant about it too!

"You know these attacks will increase exponentially after you make this official, right?"

"I see. I recently dealt with five-" She held up five fingers.

"See? You just fended off some eccentric outliers. This is a serious change-"

"-hundred in the last month. I didn't count the groupies who asked me to perform unspeakable acts to them while they were dressed as Miss 5pb…." She coughed.

The other two stared at her like she was an alien.

"How… how can you be so cool and handsome?!" 5pb. folded her hands and fawned over her love! Her sound spikes turned heart shaped!

"I know I have no feminine appeal, but you don't have to keep saying it this way." She said with a depressed expression.

"There is nothing wrong with being stylish and handsome! You were always like a prince in shining armor to me!" A line completely expected of the idol that wrote some of the most embarrassingly sweet songs in recent history.

"For crying out loud! If you keep flirting in my office I will start to feel like a chatty high-school girl again and search for a good-for-nothing boyfriend. Get out of here and enjoy some time together. Hush hush." She waved them off.

"So that means?!"

"I approve of it. You know the risks and still said yes. Nothing more I can ask of you."

They bowed their heads again and walked out while holding hands ever so meekly.

"A real power couple for sure. No idea who is in charge though." She said and took another bite out of her sweet peach.

 **FIN**


	31. Bonus Episode: Partners (PM)

**Bonus Episode: Partners (PM)**

Lowee's Basilicom.

"You're really helping me out with this Blanny." C-sha said with a grateful smile.

"Don't make a big deal out of it." Blanc replied quietly.

"I will treat you to a big slab of meat for this!"

"More like you're treating me like some kind of glutton again."

"Not at all. The spoils of a hunt should just be shared equally among all contributors." She argued.

"If your timing is as bad as last time…" She remembered the overcooked meat from the campfire. It had turned into a weird purplish color, nearly becoming black.

"That was just one time! Even a five star bush chef spins a few times too much."

"Just use a grill like a normal person!"

Their friendly banter was just background noise as they traversed the Basilicom's basement. Right now they were in search of a certain book. As Lowee's CPU moved through the bound pages of the beastiaries she was under C-sha's watchful gaze. Though on the outside she appeared entirely casual.

"Avian… Humanoid… Virus…" Blanc mumbled as she skipped through the entries. "Dragons. Here it is." She turned around to hand C-sha the book and the beret wearing huntress was the epitome of casual. To the point where it made her look disinterested even.

"Thanks Blanny~" She gratefully accepted the tome and read through the entries.

Blanc watched her read intently. Something felt off about how she was so entirely focused on the task. It was hard to tell, but C-sha always had her guard up even when she acted like she had no worries. Blanc could tell as much by now.

"Why do you want to hunt that rare dragon anyway?" She questioned with a tilted head.

"Do I really need a 'why' in this profession?" C-sha replied calmly and her eyes lit up when she finally found the species she thought her target to be.

"I guess not, but…" She hadn't really thought about how to pursue this line of questioning.

"Why do you want to slay the next boss in that MMO then?" C-sha countered without looking up.

"Wha-!" Blanc jerked back in surprise. She was caught totally off-guard by that comment. It didn't seem that shocking, but she had taken great care to keep this a secret!

"Ah, I kinda saw you play it during my last visit, before I took the twins outside." She explained without stopping her eyes from moving along the page.

"Dammit…" Blanc covered her face with one hand.

"I was a little surprised, but it's no big deal, right?" The blue clad girl shrugged.

Lowee always had… _trouble_ with their online capabilities. They were honestly far behind on online multiplayer, much preferring the good old co-op at home. There was something unexpectedly sociable about Lowee's game systems, considering their CPU was such an introvert. It was only natural to assume that the head of the nation was the base of that offline iceberg.

And sure enough, until recently Blanc had never so much as touched a MMORPG outside of a few choice events.

What had changed?

It was easily traceable to a single person.

"I don't like it alright?" Blanc sighed and shook her head. "That blondie just keeps pestering me. Even more than before…"

Of course it was all Vert's influence. The gaming goddess had at last sank her fangs into another prey. All of her friends were liable to be dragged into intense gaming sessions from time to time, but nobody dared the full commitment (not even Chika, mostly due to her physical limits). And neither would Blanc, that much she had declared right away when they made the guidelines for their…

Well it was something they had discussed at length!

"I think it's a fun idea. Playing as a hunting party with people across the globe is a nice thing." While C-sha was not strictly speaking about MMORPGs, she certainly was open-minded about it. She closed the book with a _slam_ and handed it back to the small CPU. Her eyes told of her success in finding the info she needed.

"The pace is just annoying though." Blanc rubbed her temples while putting the tome back into place.

"…" C-sha looked a tiny bit uncertain for a moment, before shifting her weight to the side and putting an arm around Blanc's shoulder. "Then what say you? Want to accompany me on my daring hunt for the Rath?" She asked with a decidedly cheery voice.

"Wasn't it called Alos?"

"Who knows!"

"Hunting, huh?" Blanc said while instinctively pushing C-sha off by the face. It had been quite a while since the last time she had done that. In fact she couldn't remember when or where…

C-sha was struggling in a funny way, but then stopped when she saw Blanc's expression. She let go far too easily and put a hand on her own waist.

"I won't force you of course. Thought some fresh air might do you good, but I know you are going to bury into the ground to hibernate soon." She winked.

"Am I an amphibian?!" Blanc glared back after her silly joke. Now she was worked up for real. "Fine, let's go smash some lizards!"

"Spoken like a true evolutionary link!"

"I'm gonna punch you!"

They bantered while ascending the stairs. For some reason this felt more nostalgic than anything to Blanc. She had realized it just a bit ago, but she really couldn't remember the last time she and C-sha just hang out. Somehow the opportunity never arose.

She glanced at her sparsely dressed friend as covertly as she could. She was laughing right now, but there was a tinge of apprehension. Like she felt uncomfortable for some reason. As much as it hurt to admit, C-sha was incredible at reading and supporting people. Especially after the events surrounding Gold Third's usurpation had forced her to the brink of how much hatred a person could bear.

But that considerate nature of hers was also a double edged sword.

"Listen." Blanc called out in the middle of a story C-sha was telling about how she found the rare dragon.

"Hm?" The brunette cocked her head at the sudden interruption. Her gaze was quizzical, but her shoulders tensed up slightly.

"You've been keeping your distance." Blanc simply spelled it out. Subtlety was not one of her strengths, but this was an awkward topic either way, so she had no wish to talk around the bush.

"…that obvious?" Instead of denying it, C-sha just gave a defeated smile.

"You think I wouldn't notice I didn't get dragged around everywhere by you?" She crossed her arms and sat down on her desk chair.

C-sha leaned against the close-by wall coolly, like she had seen in some movie perhaps, and lowered her mask of calm. Below it was a tinge of anxiety, but mostly just a melancholy expression.

"I assumed you would get plenty of that from Lady Vert." She said with a neutral voice.

"Look you…" Blanc pulled down her hat and rubbed her head. "I'm busy, true, but I didn't crawl under a rock and put a 'don't disturb' sign on it. Whatever blondie and me might have…" The words were failing her. She was so close to expressing this twisted thought, but she somehow couldn't do it.

Why was it so hard to tell her?

"I'm sorry." C-sha said after watching her squirm for a while. "If me giving you space made you feel like I didn't care about you anymore…"

"That's my line!" Blanc suddenly pointed her index finger at her. That was exactly what'd been on the tip of her tongue!

"Eh?" She looked back in surprise.

"I was distracted. There was something blocking out my vision." Probably something big and wobbly. "So… I'm sorry for not paying attention to you." Blanc averted her gaze cutely.

C-sha blinked and almost lost her hold against the wall she leaned at.

Then she burst into laughter.

"I'm trying to be serious here." Blanc growled and gave her a scowl.

"I get it. I really do!" C-sha held her stomach and then adjusted her bend over back. "It's not every day that I get to see Blanny act like a shy school girl." She wiped away a laugh tear with her finger.

"You asked for it." Blanc cracked her knuckles.

"Teasing you really is a lot of fun!" C-sha was beaming for some reason. "I am a little jealous of Lady Vert for sure. She gets to monopolize all those faces."

"N-nobody monopolizes anything-"

"I almost forgot because of all that's happened." C-sha suddenly turned more serious. She resembled the leader of Gold Third more than the goofy friend for once. "Congratulations." She felicitated Blanc.

"Where did that come from?"

"You got yourself a girlfriend. I think that's worth some praise." C-sha winked.

"What are you getting at?!" Her confusion only deepened.

"You're right, I've been avoiding you. I never even told you 'good job'. Lady Vert seemed so sad when she talked about your struggles… I felt that I was a terrible excuse for a friend for doing nothing. Someone who really understood you was already there all along, so maybe I wasn't needed at all." Her words were not reaching this clueless Blanc. This was more for herself than the small CPU. "If you would still have me then please be my friend just for-"

She was interrupted by the sound of an incoming call from the computer's speakers. The desktop previously on stand-by, was now flaring up and displayed the initials of a certain golden haired goddess.

Both of them turned towards the screen.

For an agonizingly long moment Blanc hesitated. Then she took the call while not looking at C-sha.

"Greetings~" Vert's ever relaxed voice crossed the distance of the nations.

"Hey…" Blanc replied in a sluggish voice.

"Is your energy still depleted?" Vert asked in reaction to that low volume reply.

"Not really."

"Then how about we take on the next dungeon? I invited some guild members who are particularly good at carrying beginners." This was Vert's weird way to be considerate no doubt.

"Are you saying I can't handle myself?" She glared at the screen, although that was a pointless gesture on voice-only calls.

"Far from it! You've been performing above my expectations. That white mage gear looks really cute on your character as well."

C-sha listened to the exchange with a pang of guilt on her features. As the conversation continued she loosened her arms and gave a wry smile. She slowly tip-toed out of the room.

"Oh shut up already." Blanc said bluntly all of a sudden. "And you stop right where you are!" Both girls stopped in the middle of what they were doing at Blanc's exclamation.

"Pardon?" Vert was more surprised than offended.

C-sha on the other hand stiffened up completely with the hand on the door handle.

"My time is limited, so I can't just sink it all into games." Blanc declared.

"Ah, it wasn't my intention-" Vert hastily tried to smooth things over, thinking she had annoyed Blanc somehow.

"I already have plans for today." Blanc explained. "I'm going out with a friend."

C-sha's heart received an inexplicable contraction. She turned around full of surprise.

Blanc didn't look in her direction. But she could see her awkward smile from the corner of her face.

"…I see." Vert's understanding digitized voice replied a few seconds later. "Enjoy yourself then."

"Lady Vert…" C-sha felt incredibly grateful. Clearly she had already surmised the situation and was now gracefully giving her blessings to their fun times. Vert was apparently not the jealous type.

"I know you will always come back to me anyway." Vert's teasing voice shattered that air of grace and showed off a different kind of confidence!

"…" And Blanc didn't even have the strength to deny it!

"Have fun~" Before she could get a snappy comeback from her girlfriend after all, Vert cut the line.

With some effort C-sha suppressed a chuckle. There were times when it was better not to tease Blanny, as much of a waste as it felt to her.

"Let's crush some lizards." Blanc hollowly repeated her previous line with no small amount of shame.

She rushed past C-sha and figuratively kicked the door to freedom open.

"Right behind you, partner." She followed with the first genuinely relaxed smile in ages.

 **FIN**


	32. Bonus Episode: Lovemax Redux (PM)

**Bonus Episode: L.o.v.e.m.a.x. R.e.d.u.x. (PM)**

In the depth of Leanbox' Basilicom there was a secret room. A room that was the base of a secret organization. This organization had their first meeting in quite a while today.

Vert opened the door in front of her and stepped over the line. As soon as she crossed it she was greeted by the sight of comrades she cherished dearly all at once…. Not paying attention to her.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat as she sat down at the round table.

"Huh? Oh hey it's treasurer Vertsy~" Big Nep rose her head from the couch which seemed to have turned into her personal spot. Magazines and empty bags of chips and sweets were flung all over it. The casual hand wave she gave her was the most attention she would divert from her handheld console.

"Put this on marvel-girl." MAGES. urged Marvelous. to equip a weird bracelet.

"It tickles!" The orange haired ninja didn't even question her for a second. The white bracelet was starting to glow ominously.

"Chairwoman! Please wake up chairwoman, lady Vert is here." Cyberconnect2 shook a sleeping Uzume rapidly to get her to wake up. The red-head was lying collapsed in her rolling swivel chair.

"5 more minutes…. Teehee…" She smiled in her sleep as drool ran down her mouth.

"This isn't the time to 'teehee'!" CC2 poked her cheek repeatedly.

Vert witnessed all of this with a poker face. Their club was as efficient as always it seemed. It had been almost three years since their creation, but some things never changed.

"I brought snacks." Vert said with a cool voice and held up a basket filled with Blanc Manjuu. The tiny Blanc faces all seemed to look at her in despair, like they had been betrayed.

Those words went through the air like an electric signal and in an instant the entire troupe was sitting straight at the round table. Even Uzume somehow made it, despite still being in dreamland (CC2 moved her swivel chair probably)!

"Hiya! Hand over some goods please!" Ultra Neptune stretched out her hands. She realized that she was still holding her handheld console with one, so she hurriedly retracted that hand and held it behind her back.

"All in due time." Vert's scary eyes caught the Planeptunian member in a cage and wouldn't let her escape until she was satisfied. The same applied to everyone else. Like a basilisk's glare, Vert's eyes petrified them all. "Member #6, what is our organization in broad terms?"

CC2 was taken aback by the sudden question and her fox ears stood straight in surprise.

"Eh? Why me…" She looked like a hare caught in a trap. "Uhm… honestly I still don't get what the point of this club is…" She mumbled.

"Hm?" Vert _smiled_.

"Aaaah! Something about coupling and making people fall in love!?" She exclaimed with a terrified expression.

"Correct." Vert threw a Blanc Manjuu at her, like a dog treat. CC2 munched on it with tear-filled eyes. "Our great organization works behind the scenes to bring together those who are fated and nurture their love! For we are the 'Legal Organization of Verifying Emotional and Mental Adjustments to the Xtreme'! L.O.V.E.M.A.X. for short." She declared proudly.

"Who are you recapping this for exactly? And that abbreviation still seems forced." CC2 mumbled with lines for eyes as she nibbled on the manjuu.

"Good job Vertsy… You tried hard…~" Uzume mumbled in her sleep.

"Yet I have to see us devolve to this sorry state!" Vert threw another manjuu into Uzume's open mouth. Was she really asleep…?

"Ehhh?! Isn't that a bit cruel?" Big Nep pouted and leaned her head on the table.

"Are you denying that we are utterly lacking order?" The blonde goddess looked down on their Ultra dimension representative (yes, that was her actual job) as if she was being mocked.

"I gueeeess. But isn't the only reason you called a meeting today that your GF is more interested in having fun with C-sha?" Big Nep said with an innocent whistle.

"Sorry, I didn't quite hear you just now. Would you care to repeat yourself?" A Blanc Manjuu inside Vert's fingers was pushed to its physical limits.

The air froze completely. In fact ice cubes started raining from the ceiling!

"The device works!" MAGES. jubilated and Marvy held up the bracelet that was freezing the humidity in the air.

The duo just now realized the pressure inside the room. Specifically between Vert and Ultra Nep. The two were looking at each other with girlish smiles, but somehow it seemed that invisible to everyone their auras were colliding in some sort of all out wrestling match.

"Marvel-girl, we seem to be caught in an anomaly. How do we proceed in your opinion?" The resident mad scientist put a hand to Marvy's ear and whispered.

"My old sensei always said the best way to break the tension is to cut right through it!"

"I see! Wise words indeed. So how do we go about this-?"

" _With a katana_." Marvy replied instantly and drew her blade.

"Let's not do that!" CC2 held down Marvy's arm with some effort. "W-why are you so upset?!"

"Upset?" Marvy tilted her head. "I am just trying to help. Friends shouldn't fight." Somehow her words were heavy…

"I got it! We are all friends in here! Please don't use your swords to solve this problem!" The tanned girl looked back at the two clashing auras and wondered how it had come to this. Was there really a power struggle in their secret organization?

"Hmph. As we were, there are other points I wish to discuss." Vert finally turned her attention away from the relaxed looking Neptune. Now she focused on Marvy and MAGES. "Where have you been in the recent months Marvy?"

"I was called over to an Estival on Versus Island." She explained with a raised hand and sparkling eyes.

"You mean a festival?" CC2 titled her head.

"Nope." Marvy smiled. No explanation followed.

"I am afraid to ask, but is there anything else?" The blonde goddess asked with a tilted head.

"Oh oh! I hid IF's keys in the forest!" Marvy added with a thumbs up.

"Why?! IF and Compa already announced their relationship last year." They didn't need to push them together anymore.

"No reason really. It's just fun." Marvy said happily. "Her automated turrets were a little tough to deal with, but I took them down without getting shot. I left her a treasure map this time too. I wonder if she will find them?" She seemed weirdly excited.

Somehow, someway, they had accidentally created a unexplained rivalry between the ninja and the guild member that resulted in more and more expensive and excessive clashes all surrounding house keys.

Which posed the question: What if IF and Compa moved to a new home together?

Maybe that was Marvy's true goal here?

"Hahaha! I can't wait for the laser turrets! I've seen the 'Home defense' magazine on her hallway table. How exciting!"

Probably not.

"Then how about your work MAGES.?" Vert tapped her fingers to distract herself from whatever was happening with Marvelous.

"I did as you instructed treasurer. You will be pleased to hear that my cousin and her bodyguard have crossed the line!" She nodded satisfied with crossed arms. Her witch hat shook ominously.

"Seriously?! Miss 5pb. and Cave have?" CC2 was shocked to hear this.

"Their voices are raised to the heavens each night!" The scientific magic user added with gusto.

"E-eh?! Y-you can't just listen in on their private t-time… that's so wrong!" CC2 blushed.

"I expect they will perform a duet rather soon. Her writing process is always quick, similar to my invention speed." MAGES. added coolly, not even minding Cybercon's objection.

"….a song. Of course it was about singing…" The fox eared girl sank below the table in shame.

"Impressive. So our efforts have finally born fruit between that couple." Vert nodded approvingly.

"Did we even do anything there?" Big Nep cupped her chin.

"I'm pleased to see that not everyone has been loitering around." Vert completely ignored that comment and turned towards Uzume. "Lady chairwoman?" She flicked her fingers.

Uzume's eyes changed position slightly, from sleepy closed, to happy fantasizing closed. The difference was only noticeable to true sprite scholars…

"Yeees~?" She sang.

"I am aware of your efforts in your new nation, but this organization is yours to command. How do you see the current playing field?" Vert asked submissively.

"Everyone's giving each other lots and lots of love! It's so sweet teehee~" Uzume clapped her hands together and gushed over all the cute couples.

"What do your special eyes say?"

"We maxed out sooo many lily ranks! There are only a few more red strings left to tie~" She formed a heart with her hands.

"So it is as I feared." Vert looked out the window distantly.

"What's wrong Lady Vert?" CC2 rose from below the table.

"Perhaps we have outlived our use in this world." Vert claimed while throwing another manjuu into Uzume's open mouth.

"Are you serious?" Big Nep actually looked disappointed for the first time.

"It pains me to say this too. But each time we succeed in leading another couple into the sweet embrace of love we complete the mandala a little bit more. I feel the last spaces will be filled soon."

"Uh, what the heck's a mandala?" CC2 mumbled.

"So what'cha saying is that we already hooked everyone up?" Neptune realized her train of thought.

"If we continue we might very well push together girls that don't need to be pushed." Vert mused. Such unheard of tones! Clearly _everyone_ needed to be in a romantic relationship…. right?

"Even our treasurer got tied up." Nep said with a finger on her cheek.

"That had nothing to do with it…" Vert immediately rejected the idea.

"Ehehe you did the organization a great service, no need to be shy~" Neptune and Uzume both giggled.

"…." Leanbox' CPU was cornered. "There has been no…. involvement on your end…. Correct?" The question was absolutely justified, considering how far L.o.v.e.m.a.x.'s influence went.

"As much as I would have liked to say 'Yeah', we actually got totally surprised by that pitch!" Big Nep said honestly.

"Lady Vert and Lady Blanc… I still can't believe it." Despite her constant disbelief in every pairing that came up in this club, CC2 was still able to get shocked all over.

"I don't think we are obsolete." MAGES. suddenly returned to the question. "For every relationship has highs and lows. Is it not so?" She closed one eye and looked upon her comrades heavily.

"You are saying we should help the couples to stay together?" Marvy followed surprisingly fast. "Keep them smiling forever?"

"Hm?" Vert looked contemplative at those words. "Weird."

"What is?"

"Recently Blanc and I had a few arguments." She began, but then hesitated. "Did any of you per chance spike her drinks with alcohol?" The words were like drones probing into the depth and darkness of space.

The whole round table was plastered with poker faces.

"She is usually rather shy when it comes to opening up or _intimate_ moments." She continued talking casually. Her eyes met CC2's. "But when she ingests some alcohol she suddenly becomes quite courageous."

Cybercon gulped.

"It's quite troublesome for me, you know? I can't let her take the lead during our nightly 'excursions' or my waist will hurt all day and my back might very well give out eventually-"

"KYAAA! Please stop!" CC2 was holding her smoking face. "We did it! Marvy slipped alcohol in Lady Blanc's tea!" Unable to stand Vert's gaze and candid talk she embarrassedly admitted everything.

"Way to prove yourself as the weak link…." Big Nep shook her head sympathetically.

"Is that so? Then I ask you to cease your meddling. As ironic as this may sound coming from me." She was of course aware how selfish it sounded. But her back truly hurt more than usual!

"Wowsers we sure did a lot in just three years. One day everyone in the world will be kissing each other~!" Uzume suddenly said without any prodding at all. She never could read the mood in this mode.

"Uzume's spoken, so we just gotta keep shipping- I mean _pushing_." Big Nep pulled up her game again and started tapping away. The sound of a time based event flared up.

"Ahem. There is one more person who skipped out on her status update." Vert threw a Blanc Manjuu at the girl in a black hoodie dress.

Neptune caught it with her free hand while still clicking buttons. Then she casually nommed on it and spoke with a full mouth.

"Oh nothin' special. Just convinced mini-me to marry Lady Twintails already."

For a moment the mere chillness exuding from big Nep distracted them from the words. But the time in the corner was slowly running out and the hourglasses filled up.

"Whaaaaaaaat?!"

"Seriously?"

"Pardon?"

"Is this too the will of Doc P?!"

"Yaaaaay~!"

Everyone burst out with their words of surprise.

"What?" The victory jingle played and Ultra Neptune looked up with manjuu filled cheeks.

"How did you manage such a feat? After two years of them putting it off?" Vert was honestly impressed.

"Ah well, I beat her in a gaming tournament. 20 – 0! She promised to go through with it if I got a perfect victory." She shrugged and grinned.

"Neptune…" Vert held her forehead in disbelief.

"Wow, you got an S-rank?" Marvy clapped her hands in acknowledgment.

"That's what you focus on?!" CC2 let her head sink at Marvy's weird reactions.

"Sure did Marvester! I was on a roll~!" And Ultra Nep was more proud of her gaming achievement than her actual contribution to the club!

This dimension's Neptune probably casually agreed to the bet, because the possibility of losing 20 matches in a row was almost astronomically low.

After avoiding the wedding for all this time, she finally caved in to the only thing that truly mattered in this world: Video-games.

"When is this wedding supposedly going to take place?" Vert redirected the attention to the shocking news.

"In a month? I didn't really pay attention, because Gearsy was taking her sister's place to recover the family honor." Big Nep illustrated the following skirmish with hand motions.

"Why is the gaming tournament the more important part?!" CC2 retorted. To calm her down Vert threw another Blanc Manjuu at her like a dog treat. She ate it shamefully.

"I am amazed. So we could still nudge their relationship forward." The blonde CPU said with a satisfied expression.

"Riiighty ~ Nepsy came to me for that. I am letting them marry in the old chapel in my place." Chairwoman Uzume suddenly mentioned with a chuckle.

"You knew all along…?" Vert's poker face returned.

"I am the chairwoman after all~" She said with a finger to her lips and a lovely smile.

L.o.v.e.m.a.x. wasn't done yet!

As long as love yet bloomed unnoticed they would be needed! To fertilize this garden of lilies and make the soft flowers take root all the more energetically. For this was their mission!

 _To ship everything._

May the love be with you!

"I wouldn't mind if a few manly flowers also embraced with their thorns pointed at each other every once in a while though." Vert said longingly.

"You are in the wrong story for that!" Big Nep threw her handheld at Vert's head and all the Blanc Manjuu were raining across the room alongside the ice-cubes.

 **FIN**


	33. The End

Neptune: "Heave-ho, come on boys, just a little bit more! It's already shaking in its metaphysical boots!"

She cheered on her two lackeys without much care for the impossibility of their task.

Steamax: "It is more sturdy than expected."

Affimojas: "We require _more power_."

Neptune: "Just tear that sucka down! I don't care how many limit breaks it takes!"

Steamax: "General…"

Affimojas: "Say nothing old friend. We both know what must be done."

The blue and golden robots faced each other solemnly. They extended their metal hands towards each other and then started blinking all over. Sparks were flowing across their bodies!

Steamax & Affimojas: "COMBINE! Super mega ultra fusioooooooooon!"

Lightning shone brightly inside the room and as soon as the blinding light wore off, something new stood in its center.

Affimax: _""We are whole! You cannot beat us!""_

Neptune: "Robots are freaky."

Affimax: _""Gun-saber BEAAAAAAAAAAAM!""_

Neptune: "Is it a beam or a slash?"

The ultimate final special move hit the target with the force of a thousand collapsing suns! And thus it crumbled to dust. Alongside its destruction the newly formed 'Affimax' had spent all its power and shut down.

Affimax: _""_ _We… did…. It…""_

Neptune: "Good job boys. Go recharge your batteries in electric sheep heaven or whatever."

Nep saluted the collapsed hunk of metal and touched the edges of the destroyed area. She inspected it well and then nodded.

Neptune: "VIIR is a lame title, but the tweaks to the game look pretty gooood! At least add a NepNowa mode if you got cash to spend on VR rooms though!" She shouted into the gaping hole. She nodded satisfied. "Lookie here they actually broke the 4th wall. I knew it could be done~"

Noire: "WHAT have you _done_ this time Neptune?!"

Out of nowhere Lastation's CPU appeared. Literally. What was this place anyway?

Neptune: "Nuh-uh! You will see in the replay that I didn't even poke the wall this time! It was completely out of my hand."

She shook her finger and rejected all blame.

Blanc: "This is getting out of hand alright…."

Lowee's CPU made a sudden appearance as well?! This wasn't in the script!

Neptune: "Blanny, how good of you to join this…. Whatever this is."

Nep patted her on the back jovially, to which Blanc reacted with an annoyed glare.

Noire: "There wasn't a title and the description _is_ rather vague… oh no. I am doing it too."

She realized that she was being meta too and covered her mouth anxiously.

Neptune: "Too late to attach back to your little strings! The boundary has been crushed. Welcome to a whole new world. Let me show it to you."

She put a hand on Noire's shoulder and swiped her hand across the air as if showing her a sky full of stars.

Where was this going?! Why was this happening?

Vert: "Oh dear, the author is already reeling. Is this really how we want to end this series?"

Leanbox CPU elegantly phased into existence next to them as well. At this point this seemed to be the standard entrance into the scene.

Neptune: "It's fine! Totally daijoubu! If ya want an emotional or satisfying ending, read chapter 27 again. Or go back to the previous two epilogues."

She waved it off carefree as ever.

Noire: "Did you just say-?"

Blanc: "So what is this then?"

Neptune: "You know when the studio runs out of money or ideas at the end of a season? This is the recap episode!"

The other three looked at her with a mix of disgust and confusion.

Noire: "How do you even have a clipshow in a fanfic?"

Neptune: "Oh nonono, we ain't just copy-pasting passages or anything like that. We got enough of that in Blanc's flashback chapters."

Hey!

Neptune: "This is the return of Nepstation!"

Suddenly a News show like jingle echoed inside the imaginary space and the room turned into the Nepstation set! And the group of goddesses all sat down at the main desk.

Neptune: "We are gonna have some fun with a few new segments today. Sorry about the peeps out there who were looking forward to Millionep, but too many players abused the save feature and online guides, so we were going bankrupt faster than Idea Factory and Compile Heart can crank out sequels."

Noire: "Who provided those credits anyway?"

Neptune: "We don't talk about it."

Her dark smile was discouraging enough for Noire.

Blanc: "So what segments are we doing…?"

Neptune: "Patience Blanny! You will get your turn eventually! Just like it took 3 stories to finally focus on you for a bit."

Blanc: "Can I punch her?"

Vert: "We both know that would be her victory."

The blonde CPU patted the smaller girl's head sympathetically.

Neptune: "Without further ado: Neptstation staaaaaart!"

* * *

A slow title crawl and music tune later the set was ready and waiting for the cameras to focus on Neptune and Noire, the usual pair.

Neptune: "Isn't this nostalgic? Somehow we always end up embarrassing you in front of some camera, aren't we?"

Noire: "I only remember seeing you make a fool of yourself in this studio. It had nothing to do with me."

She crossed her arms and stayed calm.

Neptune: "Righto, that was Ultra Nowa. I always mix you two up."

She stretched out her tongue and tapped her head like she was such a klutz.

Noire: "I don't expose my midriff like a weirdo!"

Neptune: "It's fine~ Some version of me gets to see more than your midriff all the time-BWARGH!?"

Noire's elbow penetrated Neptune's ribcage like a powerdrill went through a faulty energy barrier.

Noire: "Moving on, this new segment is called **LOST DREAMS**. An overdramatic title as expected of this author."

Neptune: "Gasp… your elbows are pointier than your rapier… cough… Brutality equal to dishonesty…."

Noire: "Get a grip and tell me what this is about."

Neptune: "Okay!"

Neptune instantly recovered at those words and held up her hand cheerfully.

Neptune: "This segment is the graveyard for scrapped story ideas!"

Noire: "Oh, I see… This is actually a more normal topic than I expected."

Neptune: "What kind of weird thoughts were you having my maybe rival, maybe girlfriend, maybe wife?"

Noire: "I don't have any weird-! Why are you talking like a moron?"

Neptune: "This timeline really makes no sense, that's why. Is this PM? AM? S&M? Either way we could be anything or nothing."

Noire: "…"

The confusion would only increase if she kept going down that road. Better to just get on with it.

Neptune: "Aaaand the first scrapped idea is all about none other thaaaan… Noire."

Neptune said in monotone.

Noire: "That explains why I am here… Hey why are you acting so disappointed!?"

Neptune: "It's always about you. Even this failure of an author is only looking at you all the time. Your twintails are actually parasites that tie people up and brainwash them, admit it!"

Noire: "I can't help it; I am just the most popular."

She gave Neptune a haughty smile, which made her all the more aggravated. Knowing that she couldn't best her right now even with her protagonist powers, she just pulled up the story on the teleprompter.

Neptune: "This stupid idea actually already has a completely finished draft. Talk about a last minute intervention."

Noire: "This isn't some substance abuse drama!"

Neptune: "Don't be too hasty, my fair Queen of tsundere kingdom. This story could only have been written under some kind of abuse. That or drugs."

She shrugged with a wry smile.

Noire: "I read here that it was a story about… Gamarket?"

Neptune: "Yeah when I said you, I didn't mean _you_ you."

What a great clarification.

Noire: "So it was a story about my own game."

She seemed somewhat excited now.

Neptune: "…yeah a story about that other Noire."

Nep nodded and there was a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Noire: "Well what was it about then? I think by the end of that game everything returned back to normal with the four nations being separated. Am I going to conquer it a third time?"

One might think that two times of unification were enough to proof a point. But Neptune's sudden smirk made Noire shiver.

Neptune: "Nope! It's all about your harem."

Noire: "… my what?"

She was taken aback.

Neptune: "That other Noire is like a freak magnet for people. She got more Lily Points than was good for her, so the writers decided to throw a forced romance with some bland self-insert at her."

This was the reason Neptune had looked so chagrinned before, but now she was bathing in Noire's clouded face.

Neptune: "It's quite funny to think that Nowa would be the one with the harem, huh? The story goes something like this… The Generals wanted to gain more influence or accomplish their own goals, so they decided to get closer to the unrivaled sovereign of Gamarket: Noire."

Noire: "How is this related to a harem-"

Neptune: "The idea was that each one of them would get a try at making Noire fall for them, so they could totally exploit her for all she's worth. Hahaha! Now that's a fun plot."

The idea seemed to really amuse Neptune.

Noire: "They drew lots to decide the order…. Why would I go along with any of this?"

She pouted.

Neptune: "Because they said it was all about becoming better _friends_. And we all know that's your trigger word."

Nep chuckled.

Noire: "I-It's not! I d-don't have such an obvious weakness!"

Neptune: "Even the game devs can't make that line a reality. Anyway, the story goes that each General tries her best to make poor Lonely Heart theirs, but instead they end up falling for _her_ one by one. Ironyyyy."

Noire: "I s-see… that's unexpected."

Neptune: "You may wonder where blandy McBlandface is during all of this. Apparently the plan was to have him attend some weird enlightenment course where he was supposed to learn to become a better secretary… but he ended up becoming a celibate monk who swore off all earthly desires."

Noire: "What the heck?!"

Neptune: "And by the end when the entire harem force goes after the distressed black hearted princess he arrives with the train and totally approves."

Noire: "How overly convenient! What about my- I mean _her_ feelings?!"

Neptune: "Never you worry, that Noire is a total affection sl*t, so she likes everyone."

Noire: "I feel like you just went way over the line, but the fact that you are jealous of me is even more concerning."

Neptune: "Me? _Jelly_? Please, I prefer pudding."

Nep whistled innocently.

Noire: "So it doesn't bother you… at all? That I am with so many other girls…"

For once Noire looked a little sad. Whatever they were right now (rivals, girlfriends or wives), to think Neptune cared so little about her getting taken by other lovers… even if it was another dimension… it hurt a little.

Neptune: "Heehee. I knew you'd be worried about stupid things! Here's some extra twist for your tear-shake! On the only off-days from deepening 'friendship' with the Generals, Noire hangs out with us other CPUs. She is way more relaxed and herself during those events and she seems to be secretly crushing on a certain perfectly cute main character material goddess."

Noire: "….you knew this the entire time!"

She protested, but Neptune just laughed at her creeping blush. After play fighting for a bit, Noire cleared her throat to regain the serious mood. But her barely hidden happy expression undermined that notion a bit.

Noire: "But why was this story cancelled if it was pretty much finished?"

Neptune: "It totally didn't fit in anywhere in this trilogy. And making an entire new story for some spin-off idea wasn't really a priority."

Noire: "Look at you actually giving a serious answer…"

Neptune: "I just read that cowardly author's excuse actually."

She held up a small note with glee.

* * *

 **CONFESSION CORNER**

Neptune: "The title is self-explanatory! Here we go gals! _**I love Nowa**_!"

She yelled into the non-existent studio crowd.

Nepgear: "Uhm… it's not that kind of confession Onee-chan."

The pure hearted sister explained with a weak smile.

Neptune: "Ooooh suffixes and Japanese word fixes! This really is a mess!"

She seemed delighted though.

Nepgear: "I-I'm sorry if I did something wrong… My mind is a little bit hazy."

Neptune: "It's daijoubu. That's probably the culture shock. It stops hurting around the time you can sing an anime opening word by word~"

Nepgear: "I don't really understand-"

Neptune: "I knew that it wasn't about confessions of love silly sister o' mine, but it feels good to shout your feelings to the crowd."

Her chest was puffed out in pride about her openness.

Nepgear: "Matters of the heart are important."

She nodded as if she had actually understood her sister!

Neptune: "The real reason for this corner is to reveal our darkest and most embarrassing secrets though, so here we go. You start Nep Jr."

Nepgear: "Eeeeeh?! I n-need to start?"

Her eyes turned weird and her mouth square shaped.

Neptune: "Out with it! Tell us your darkest secret. With my demure little sister this ought to be quite adorable."

She slapped Nepgear's back familiarly and pushed her forward. Nepgear looked down at her hands with sweat drops rolling down her face. Whatever went through her mind right now seemed to burden her greatly. But this segment was unavoidable. The forces of unreality were despotic indeed and she would be made to talk eventually.

Nepgear: "I… I made a few robots… of people I know."

She admitted with pressed words.

Neptune: "Wow you really love that thingamajig and your tools. Enough to sell out your poor Onee-chan even."

At this point Neptune was still in a joking mood. But…

Nepgear: "I made an Onee-chan that actually worked and was **serious**. In the simulation she took over the world in two weeks. And then I made her praise me lots and lots."

The words now started to flow almost automatically. And there was no stopping them. Neptune's smile froze and her eyebrows twitched.

Nepgear: "Then I made a Uni bot that I could practice confessing to. She kept bugging out for some reason so I had to turn her more obedient…"

Her eyes were now dulled over as she told of her exploits. Neptune backed away on her chair.

Nepgear: "After a while she turned more obedient and I added tear solution so her cries would be more realistic. _She needed to be more realistic_ if I wanted to practice _kissing_ on her."

Neptune was already running out the exit.

Nepgear: "Why wouldn't she confess back to me?! I programmed her over and over, but Uni-chan's personality overwrote it each time! Just like the real Uni-chan! _Just kiss me already and stop crying_!"

In the distance one could hear the sound of a sprinting Neptune. Then a crash as she hit something metallic. After a few seconds she was dragged in through the door by Nepgya. The robot threw her back in the chair.

Nepgear: "So that's my embarrassing little secret ehehe. You aren't going to tell anyone, right Onee-chan?"

She cutely stretched out her tongue and smiled with flowers around her head.

Neptune: "S-segment change! Right now pleaaaaase!"

* * *

 **LOST DREAMS 2**

Neptune: "Oh my me, that was close."

She wiped some sweat off her brow and exhaled.

Uzume: "Something wrong Nepsy?"

Neptune: "Potentially terrifying revelations about the future of the franchise… but other than that everything's peachy. It's great to finally have you at Nepstation Uzume~"

Uzume: "Yeah I never knew there was a channel like this!"

Neptune: "There isn't."

Uzume: "….eh?"

Neptune: "The next scrapped idea is all about the Zero Dimension's greatest warrior!"

The purple haired girl pointed her hands at her guest with grandeur. Uzume scratched her cheek embarrassedly.

Uzume: "What story could you write about me? Is it about how I fight some badass villain?"

Neptune: "If that badass villain is yourself, then I guess we can give that a soft maybe!"

She said with a shrug.

Neptune: "This short was supposed to be about how Uzume hit her head really badly."

Uzume: "Wha- how did that happen?"

Neptune: "Who knows? This one's a stub. Maybe you tripped down the stairs."

Uzume: "At least make it something cool! Like taking a blow for a friend or getting hit by a meteor…"

Neptune: "You'd be dead! And then Kurome couldn't take over your body."

Uzume: "Nani!?"

Neptune: "More gratuitous Japanese, huh? Anyway, that's the plot. Uzume gets in critical condition and Kurome takes over her body somehow."

Uzume: "That won't happen."

She said firmly.

Neptune: "Er, it's just a what-if, its not supposed to be all that serio-"

Uzume: "It will never happen. We settled our score. She will never come back."

Uzume's words had some incredible finality to them.

Neptune: "Uh… well it was about how Kurome had to take over for Uzume and gain everyone's trust before sacrificing herself to make Uzume's consciousness return… very touching and all that-"

Uzume: "She accepted it. I beat her with my own hands. She is gone."

Neptune: "It's really hard to deal with such a conclusive character arc! I guess that's why the story was never written."

Uzume had clutched her fist and looked up all determinedly like she was holding an awesome inner monologue at the end of a movie.

Neptune: "Well this segment was kind of a bust, so let's slalom straight into the next one."

 **CONFESSION CORNER 2**

The text magically changed. Uzume watched it with a whistle.

Neptune: "You got some skeletons in your closet Uzume?"

She jokingly prodded her with her elbow.

Uzume: "I don't really… ah, wait. There is something we swore not to talk about."

Neptune: "Let's talk about that then!"

Uzume: "So remember how the other Nepsy, MAGES. and I went to Gamarket to overthrow Arbore?"

Neptune: "Yep, that was a really random side-plot in ' _Best Friends Forever?_ ' the first story of this unintended trilogy."

Way to be subtle.

Uzume: "Yeah yeah! We went there one more time after you guys defeated Arbore in the Hyper dimension. The people there wanted us to become the new rulers, but we couldn't really do that. The kids at the Zero dimension were waiting."

She explained seriously.

Uzume: "I dunno if they got CPUs later on, but before we left we told them how to become strong enough to defeat evil on their own."

Neptune: "Wowsers, you taught them some secret special technique like that?"

Uzume: "Ah… not exactly… that's kinda the thing. I totally drew a blank. Didn't know what to tell them. MAGES. and Nepsy also didn't seem to be into it."

She rubbed the back of her head and sighed.

Uzume: "We told them that to power up they just need to kiss each other on the cheek."

Neptune stared at Uzume. Then she stared some more. After the red-head did not say any more or revealed this all to be one grand joke, she finally burst into laughter. She slammed her fist on the Neptstation desk repeatedly and finally sank unto the floor holding her hurting belly.

Neptune: "Ahahahha! N-no w-way! Hahahaha… they bought it?"

Uzume: "Sorry… I think they are still doing it to this day."

She seemed to feel really guilty.

Neptune: "The power of pecking! This is the best hahahaha~!"

She wiped her laugh tears off and rubbed her hurting face muscles.

Neptune: "That's a good one! More of this and less creepy singularity stories please."

Uzume: "I don't get you sometimes Nepsy."

Neptune: "Thanks for trying."

* * *

 **WHAT HAPPENED TO [BLANK]?**

Neptune: "Hey, where's Blanc? She is even in the title, but instead I got a healthy serving of Plutie!"

Plutia: "I'm not Blaaaaanny."

She agreed lazily. For a few seconds they just both looked really dazed. Then Neptune's head snapped back.

Neptune: "We don't have a tsukkomi!"

Plutia: "Ehhhh? What's a tsuki… tsuko…"

Neptune: "Don't break your sweet head over it. I guess this segment's actually about some loose ends."

Plutia: "It's really bad when you leave loose string after sewing the plushie. It gets tangled aaaall up and then tears the poor plush. That's noooo good."

For some reason Plutia was really serious about sewing! She gave them her best scolding look, which was still as soft as the thawing snow during a winter morning.

Neptune: "Seriously, what happened to the Ultra dimension though? We saw you like 4 times during the entire trilogy."

Nep scratched her head and her eyes turned into lines. Her disappointment was directed at a certain idiot who definitely felt bad about it, okay?

Plutia: "Hmmmm… I played looots with Peashy-chan… and then we napped, but got scolded by Noire."

She tranquilly recalled some events.

Plutia: "Ohh… and then we had a cooking contest… the food was sooo yummy."

Her eyes lit up.

Plutia: "There was also that time Histy was reaaally busy, so I had to work until my fingers went ouchie."

She held up her ten fingers as if to show it off.

Neptune: "Fascinating."

She didn't have it in her to say anything that could darken that innocent smile on the comfy girl's face.

* * *

 **LOST DREAMS 3**

Neptune: "This is awkward."

She looked down towards her new guest: Ram.

Ram: "Where's Rom-chan? Where's Blanc? Where's Nepgear?"

Her inquisitive gaze was truly destructive.

Neptune: "I know we don't hang out much in the main story, but can't you at least pretend to get along…?"

Ram: "What is this boring place?"

Neptune: "If I knew that they would probably have to silence me for knowing too much."

She mumbled, but then turned back to the small CPU Candidate.

Neptune: "Guess what? The reason you're here all on your lonesome means there was a story planned just for you!"

Ram: "Really?! That's awesome!"

Neptune: "Yup! It's about something with you doing something about something and then something happens. Apparently it's about something with Rom too."

Ram: "You sound really dumb Neptune."

Neptune: "Thanks for pointing it out… this is nepping great, I am looked down on by the munchkin. It's not my fault that this page is almost blank!"

She held up the plot summary of the 'story'. There was a line at the start and one at the bottom of the paper.

[And then they kissed.]

Ram: "…"

Neptune: "…"

Blanc: "Let me get my hammer."

Neptune: "Be my guest. No, seriously, be a guest already."

One deserved hammer festival later…

Neptune: "Geez can they even still type like that?"

Blanc: "I left one finger unbroken."

Her cold glare was enough to turn the weather outside into a snowstorm.

Ram: "Onee-chan, why did it say I was gonna kiss-"

Blanc: "Ask C-sha."

Neptune: "In that case let's move to another segment!"

 **CONFESSION CORNER 3**

Neptune: "It's no secret that you and Vertsy got some issues, but what about the issues is a secret?"

Blanc: "Should have known you would go there."

Her lip twitched ever so slightly.

Neptune: "The public deserves to know! You were worse than Nowa! At the very least she confessed back a dozen chapters later. You got two years and still didn't!"

Blanc: "It's complicated..."

This shy Blanc was a treat. And Nep was good at unwrapping those.

Neptune: "Even an idiot can figure their feelings out after play testing a game for 2 years. Your little act at my wedding was quite delicious- I mean surprising, but there's gotta be more."

Blanc: "I don't want to… talk about it."

She looked down with a hint of rouge on her cheeks. Fancy.

Ram: "Onee-chan and Vert are totally weird. They always argue, but then kiss."

Neptune: "An unexpected assist from the backseats!?"

She spun around on her chair and saw that Ram was still there! Of course she was, why did they forget about that anyway?

Blanc: "Ram…!"

She glared her sister down as if she had been betrayed. But the pink wearing twin didn't back down.

Ram: "Rom-chan always says that she is sad when you aren't honest. When Rom-chan is sad I am sad too. Stupid Onee-chan."

She was looking like she was holding back the moistness in her eyes.

Neptune: "A big sister should be a good example to her siblings."

Blanc: "You little-"

Neptune: "Ah-ah-ah. I never said I am the perfect role-model. But at least I always say how I feel for real."

In some strange twist of logic… Neptune actually sounded convincing.

Blanc: "…er…"

Neptune: "Turn that volume up just a bit tech guys."

Blanc: "I like that big oaf a lot alright?!"

Blanc exclaimed with more embarrassment than Neptune had ever seen on her face. It almost made her heart skip a beat. She punched her chest repeatedly with the force of a jackhammer.

Neptune: "Bad heart! Swaying so easily even if this is a weird out of sync reality!"

That ship wasn't even entertained in this story.

Ram: "Vert Onee-san is mean sometimes, but she always looks at Onee-chan with those happy eyes."

Somehow the little sister was superior to her older sister in every way right now!

Neptune: "I wish I recorded that… ahem, so do you _LOVE_ her though?"

She pressed on, but there was a point where even the most weakened lioness would fight to the death. Blanc's claws were less sharp, but they were enough to stretch both of Neptune's cheeks painfully.

Neptune: "Owowow I give…! I'm tapping out…!"

* * *

 **WHAT HAPPENED TO [BLANK]? 2**

Nep snored.

Plutia: "And and and… then I had a dream about picking flowers."

The entire duration of the segment Plutia had kept telling everyday stories. And she wasn't slowing down. That is, if she could even get any slower than this.

From behind the set Nepgya stomped over. Then she extended some weird wires from her fingers. They attached to Neptune's drool covered face. Then the ominous 'NEPGYAAAA' sound reverberated through the air and electrical energy was shot into Nep's cheeks.

Neptune: "Holy 80% off sales on Steam what the nep is happening?!"

She was shocked so thoroughly awake that she almost fainted again.

Plutia: "Are you okaaay Neppy?"

The easy-going CPU actually seemed concerned.

Neptune: "What… year is it?"

Plutia: "What's a year?"

Neptune: "If I had ever seen a calendar anywhere in Gamindustri I'd be able to tell ya. Sorry Plutie, were you done yet?"

Plutia: "Done with whaaat?"

She tilted her head. Neptune facepalmed.

It was time to summon someone a little more focused. She clapped her hands and suddenly a twintailed goddess appeared in their midst.

Completely naked.

Ultra Noire: "…"

Neptune: "Wussup?"

Ultra Noire: "I know exactly who is at fault here. I just don't know how I will punish you yet."

Plutia: "Were you taking a bath Noiiire?"

Unlike the increasingly pale Neptune, Plutia seemed happy to see her Noire around. The raven haired girl noticed Plutia only now and immediately went red. She hastily stripped Neptune and put on her hoodie dress. It was a little small for her, but it did its job of hiding her girly bits.

Neptune was now in her striped underwear and looked rather dead inside.

Neptune: "I am supposed to ask questions, but I don't feel like it."

Ultra Noire: "I… I was taking a shower and then you just dragged me to this random place."

Plutia: "Ehhh? Isn't this the basement?"

The two other girls looked at her in bafflement. Did Plutia think Nepstation was in her Basilicom's basement?

Neptune was pretty sure that there was something else in that basement. Horrific traumas tried to escape their mental cells, but somehow the sanity inside Neptune triumphed and shut them down.

Ultra Noire was not so lucky, as her dead fish eyes and shivering shoulders told.

Neptune: "…like, what happened in the Ultra Dimension recently?"

In the kindness of her heart she managed to ask a question that distracted from the trauma.

Ultra Noire: "R-right… The Seven Sages took care of an empire calling itself the 'MSX'. And I'm still number one in the Share race."

She caught herself with some effort.

Neptune: "Not like you got much competition."

She shrugged and then turned more mischievous. With a slight pull she exchanged the sign above.

 **CONFESSION CORNER 4 **

Neptune: "Time to confess!"

Ultra Noire: "Wha-wha-what the heck?! Y-you said this corner wasn't about actual confessions!"

Neptune: "True, but we both know that the darkest secret is also the loveliest, so fire at will."

Plutia cocked her head in wonder at Noire's troubled face.

Neptune: "I really wondered how that little triangle worked out. You can't dodge around forever!"

Ultra Noire: "I… I can't talk about this without Blanc."

She whispered.

Neptune turned towards the screen as if to say 'Are you seeing this?'

She flicked her fingers and suddenly the one and only Ultra Blanc was in their midst. She was currently wearing her pajamas and sleeping cap.

Ultra Blanc: "Mmrhm… zzz… huh? What the f-"

Her awakening was rude, but the fact that her head was resting on Plutia's lap and the rest of her body on the crushed Noire was making her stop short.

Neptune: "I swear this is out of my power. You just attract butts."

She looked under the desk where Noire was lying. She was the ultimate landing platform. Soon even jets might land on her twintails.

Neptune: "Aaaanyway, this is actually the perfect opportunity. Here we go~"

 **WHAT HAPPENED TO LOST DREAMS CONFESSION CORNER? 4**

Neptune: "According to this here paper you three were the stars of your own side-story that would have spanned way too many chapters."

Plutia: "A story for uuus?"

Ultra Blanc: "It… can't be…"

Neptune: "But it can! It was a story about your weird love triangle!"

Ultra Noire: "Gyaaaah! Don't say it out loud!"

She squirmed below Blanc.

Neptune: "This is sort of weird, because it actually happened off-screen, so it's not exactly scrap. You wanna come out with it or should I read this?"

The trio seemed sworn to silence.

Neptune: "My my, apple-pie. Alright then. Apparently due to something happening in ' _Best Girlfriends Forever!_ ' the second story in the trilogy, some sort of domino chain was set off which led to Ultra Blanc realizing that she had feelings for both Plutia and Ultra Noire. Due to some overly long and complicated plot that I am too lazy to read, she confessed to Noire first, which put her into a really tough situation. She didn't really feel the same way, yadda yadda, Plutia seemed to realize that those two were acting weird and Sadie poked some holes into them, which lead to all feelings coming bare. Somehow Plutia managed to not be dense and said that she also loved both of them, though who knows how romantic those feelings are, it's Plutia after all. Despite her reluctance, Noire starts to see some merit in Blanc as well and despite their fierce rivalry there seems to be something else blossoming..."

Neptune threw the pile of papers - that might as well have been a short novel - away. It was way too complicated and the conclusion felt half-assed.

Neptune: "What a joke, amirite? Like that could ever happen."

Her sly grin was greeted by the cabaret of emotions that was the Ultra trio. Oh how very fun it was to see their reaction to the summary of their exploits.

Plutia: "Neppy… bullying is baaaad…!"

Even Plutia was slightly red. This was the same as the red tinge on the sky before Armageddon though. Neptune realized her mistake just a moment too late.

* * *

 **WHAT HAPPENED TO [BLANK]? 3**

Vert: "What in limited special edition's name happened to you?"

The blonde goddess asked Neptune with a raised brow. Planeptune's CPU was a wreck. Her body was covered in marks of lashes. She was still in her striped underwear too.

Neptune: "That's… what I'm s'pposed to ask…"

She slowly pushed herself up on the desk and held her stinging head.

S-sha: "Not interested."

Vert: "No need to be so tense S-sha."

Neptune: "That's her looking tense?!"

The silver-haired girl seemed incredibly calm, even disinterested.

Vert: "Fetch yourself a new change of clothing if you would Neptune. I will take over things for a bit."

Neptune: "Thx Vertipoo…"

As she said so she left for backstage.

Vert: "Fufufu. All the power of this realm at my fingertips. The things I could do."

S-sha: "And you're going to use them to do exactly as the program demands?"

Vert: "Indeed."

Her smile was genuine. There was nothing special she really wanted to do with this power. All her wishes had been fulfilled over the course of the trilogy.

Vert: "So what have you been up to during those long breaks between appearances if I may ask?"

S-sha: "I'd prefer you didn't. But you won't be satisfied by that. All I did was follow E-sha's wishes."

Vert: "As expected. But what is included in those special wishes?"

S-sha: "At one point I made a movie… with the help of the others."

Which was clearly referring to all former Gold Third members.

Vert: "I would have loved to see that. Did it ever get released?"

S-sha: "…no. We kept a copy each and promised to keep it safe. And in a few years we will watch it together to see how we have changed and how much fun we had."

Although her words sounded apathetic on the outside, Vert could tell the deep emotions behind that calm mask. S-sha was not overly emotional if it didn't concern E-sha, but the truth was that she cared a lot more than she let on. She considered herself lucky to count S-sha as one of her friends as well.

Vert: "Can you perhaps tell us about those changes then? I am aware that K-sha has become Noire's secretary, but what of the rest?"

S-sha: "C-sha has become the guild master of Lowee's hunting guild."

She seemed to be wary of talking already, but Vert's blue eyes kept her locked in place.

S-sha: "B-sha changes jobs all the time. I think she amassed enough riches to invest in her own company, but she doesn't seem to care yet. If she keeps fighting crime in her alter ego she might become some sort of billionaire super-hero."

That line was probably straight from the horse's mouth. B-sha would totally exaggerate her own career this way.

S-sha: "And I keep doing what I can…"

…to live life for E-sha. That was certainly what she thought. It was her mission to experience lots of things for the other soul inside her. To the point where Vert wondered if S-sha even lived at all. But the fact that she still thought of her friends and genuinely enjoyed the memory of their movie gave her hope.

Vert: "Thank you for sharing this with everyone. I am aware you are busy."

S-sha: "No… it's fine."

She averted her eyes. A rare cute reaction. Vert decided to mark this day in her calendar later.

Neptune: "I'm baaaaaack~"

Vert: "Hmhm, we are done here too. This seat is a little too hot for me after all."

She moved over from the host seat and S-sha got up to leave altogether.

Neptune: "Woah, I am gone for five minutes and this place suddenly has this heavy, wholesome atmosphere."

She crossed her arms and looked displeased.

Vert: "Must be your imagination."

Neptune: "Ohhh that's it! I'll make you squeal in the Confession Corner!"

* * *

Neptune: "...she might be a better protagonist than me. I didn't wanna admit it, but it's totally true. And even Nep Jr.'s got the harem powers. Does this mean I just don't have the touch?!"

Neptune was laying her soul bare in front of Vert and confessing everything. The blonde CPU crossed her legs ladylike and nodded understandingly.

Vert: "Perhaps you are mistaking a harem attraction with a good protagonist. Several shallow relationships are generally inferior to one strong bond."

Neptune: "You sure?"

Vert: "There is no certainty in matters of love, but you have been the protagonist for many games, while all others only got a single chance. Does it not appear to be the case?"

Neptune: "Yeah, but if we followed the main timeline I wouldn't even be able to love Noire openly either."

Vert: "Thus is the fate of a franchise build on subtext."

Neptune: "…!"

She slapped herself several times until her cheeks were red.

Neptune: "What's this painfully serious conversation!? I was totally dragged into your pace!"

Vert chuckled and then stood up.

Vert: "I have found my own answers, so I feel that I owe something to those around me. That's all."

Neptune: "It's worrying that you still didn't let go of Nep Jr. even after grabbing Blanc on the side. Do you actually have the harem hands too?"

Vert: "A harem of little sisters would not be so bad… I'm joking of course."

At seeing Nep's expression she giggled.

* * *

 **LOST DREAMS 5**

Neptune: "Aaaand the final lost dream is here."

Uni: "I don't think you are talking about us, huh?"

Rom: "…"

She hid behind Uni's dress.

Neptune: "Actually this dream isn't about you two anyway. But we gotta have everyone appear at least once."

Uni: "Gee, thanks for thinking of us."

Neptune: "Noire Jr. you really can't complain. You got more screen time in these stories than Uzume and Blanc."

Nep grinned and winked.

Uni: "T-that doesn't have anything to do with this! Thanks for reading about me though."

She muttered a curt thanks towards the screen.

Neptune: "Why did you not come as a package before?"

She looked at the still hidden Rom. She should have appeared with Ram.

Rom: "R-Ram-chan said she would deal with the scary show host…"

Neptune: "Neppu?! I'm not scary!"

Rom backed away at her outburst. Uni looked at Nep as if she was something vile.

Neptune: "I really ought to level up my affinity points with all the kid sisters. It looks like I'm some creepy aunt."

Uni: "Technically you are my weird sister-in-law now."

It was a fact, but also not. This realm was without a proper timeline. But it still hit Neptune straight in the neps.

Neptune: "I'll make you my cute honest sister yet! Even if Nep Jr. already has two hands in that pie."

Was it a threat? It really sounded like a threat.

Uni: "What's that final scrapped story about?"

She sighed and moved the plot along just like her older sister would. It made Neptune feel… strange.

Neptune: "This one's a doozy. Nowa gets stuck in Black Heart mode for some reason, but her emotions are reversed. So instead of becoming all bang-bada-bang! And boom shakalaka! She becomes super meek and frail. Kinda like the shortstuff over there."

She pointed at Rom.

Uni: "O-onee-chan… like Rom?"

The very concept was blowing her mind.

Neptune: "What a shame this one was cut. I would have loved to tease Nowa for this. The best part is how attached she becomes in that story. Did I mention that she treats you like her big sister?"

Nep's words were fire and Uni's mind was a dry wheat field. In seconds it was set ablaze.

Neptune: "But I guess Rom-chan is actually courageous, while that Nowa is a total softie. It apparently ends with her getting angry at some idiot who forgot her promise. Then she returns to being herself and switches off HDD."

Rom: "Who broke the promise?"

The blue wearing twin inquired curiously.

Neptune: "It really doesn't matter, righto? All's well that ends well!"

Her laughter was somewhat coarse.

Uni still looked off into the distance with a longing expression. The words 'Uni Onee-chan' echoed inside her head.

* * *

Neptune: "We finally made it! A big applause for the magnificent host of this Nepstation special- UNGH!?"

Neptune was pushed to the side by the army of girls that was filling the screen. Every single main and minor character had showed up.

Noire: "Now that we are free of that whacko's control I want to say thanks for reading these what-if stories."

Vert: "It's been a long journey, but it was certainly fun, yes?"

Blanc: "Who would even read this far if they didn't care at least a little?"

Nepgear: "Gosh, this is so nerve wrecking. Uhm… We went through a lot, but the adventure never truly ends. Even if we must part… er…"

Uni: "Don't get hung up on it. It's not like this was a big deal."

Ram: "Read something where me and Rom get to be the heroes!"

Rom: "T-there are many… cute stories out there."

Uzume: "I don't really know what to say, but you can always find new things to look forward to. And old memories don't just disappear. Take it from an ex-amnesiac."

Neptune: "Ouch… stop pushing…! Hey, don't close out without me! If you gamers and readers out there feel like you need more Nep in your life, just replay the games! Buy two copies of each while you are at it, one for yourself and another one for a friend. If we get this avalanche in motion everyone in the world will play Neptunia games by the end of the century-"

Noire: "Stop pushing sales on people."

She smacked her head lightly, but there was a smile on her face.

Neptune: "Oh well. It's over when it's over. See ya on the other side of the screen~!"

EVERYONE: "THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!"

 **THE FINAL END**


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